Why is Everyone Fascinated with Megalodon Teeth?
Megalodon teeth have been a popular purchase lately. The megalodon extinction dates back about 2.6 million years ago. To this day, the beast is still gaining interest, and people are trying to gain as much knowledge as possible about megalodons.
All About the Megalodon
The megalodon was estimated to be just under 18 meters in length. It weighed between 30-50 tons at its maximum size. These estimates are based almost entirely on the size of megalodon teeth, as sharks do not have bone skeletons to compare.
What did the Megalodon eat?
It ate mostly large marine animals, including whales, seals, dolphins, dugongs, large fish, and turtles. Its food list is almost identical to the prey of modern-day killer whales.
Megalodon bite:
The megalodon had a strong bite that was estimated to be the strongest bite force of any animal. They used this bite force to bite off the tails and fins of larger prey to immobilize them. However, even with this powerful jaw size, it seems that the megalodon preferred hunting smaller animals and was even prey to others.
Ancestor of the Megalodon
The megalodon is most likely a descendant of the ancient shark Otodus, who has no living descendants today. This conclusion came from the fact that both sharks had serrated teeth and are apex predators.
Dead or Alive?
While many want to believe the megalodon is alive and lurking somewhere in the deep dark part of the ocean, it has been proven that this isn't the case. The fact is that the megalodon was a vast predator that needed to eat more than a ton of meat a day to survive, and that amount of food is not present anywhere in the ocean's depths.
Megalodon Teeth and How to Spot Them
There is no doubt that these creatures were outstanding, but there is still so much we don’t know, so it makes sense that people are interested in learning about them. The question, “Why are megalodon teeth so popular to collect?” still stands.
For collectors, it is important to know how to decipher the differences between different shark teeth. In addition, Megalodon teeth offer many clues about the animal, including its age, when it lived, its diet, and even if it had specific diseases.
A megalodon had approximately 276 teeth arranged in given rows in each jaw. These rows enabled the megalodon to constantly shed worn-out teeth and replace them with new, sharp ones.
This shedding system is also standard for modern-day sharks and is what makes collecting shark teeth possible. They shed so many teeth overtime that they’re abundant on beaches for collectors to find. So, how do you know when you’ve found Megalodon teeth and not a tooth of a great white or hammerhead?
Color of Teeth
Megalodon teeth can be almost any color. Because they are ancient, an uncovered meg tooth will be a fossil that has taken on the color of the sediments that formed it. Most of the available teeth for purchase are dark gray, black, or brown. This color scheme is due to them all coming from similar areas and waters rich in phosphates that color the fossils.
Other colors do exist but are rarer and come at a higher price. The color change depends on where someone found the teeth and the type of water they formed in.
Size of Megalodon Tooth
The most significant megalodon tooth ever found was 6.9 inches long. That's about three times longer than the average tooth of a modern great white shark. A recent auction in South Carolina states that a 6.5-inch serrated megalodon tooth was expected to sell for no less than $450. Still, bidders who desperately wanted a piece of the action drove the price to about $2,600, including fees.
The most found megalodon teeth range from three to five inches in size, but the largest found was nearly seven! These are very easy to find and collect. In addition, they are highly affordable due to being so common to locate and sell.
Megalodon Teeth as Weapons?
Though less commonly used for weapons now, megalodon teeth used to be collected, bought, and used to create weapons or tools due to being extremely sharp. When sharpened and used correctly, these teeth were able to do damage!
The Fascination with Megalodon Teeth
Megalodon teeth have become so popular, the value is increasing at a fast rate. Megalodon teeth are some of the most valuable on the market. If looking to purchase one of the more prominent teeth, a beat-up-looking one goes for over $300 and can reach thousands for a high-quality tooth. The demand for these more prominent teeth far exceeds the supply.
The fascination of the megalodon tooth continues to grow daily. Movies such as The Meg and shark week on the Discovery channel have driven interest in this creature. While all the information they share may not be accurate, it hasn’t stopped people from following the story of the megalodon and collecting its teeth to have a piece of one of the greatest predators ever to live.
Recorded as the largest shark to have ever lived, who wouldn’t want a megalodon tooth to have as their own? Whether you are aiming to find a specific piece for your collection or just have a piece of this historic beast, there are options for everyone.
Noting that there are many colors, sizes, and uses for megalodon teeth is another point of fascination. The opportunity to collect so many different teeth fossils from an extinct creature makes the level of fascination even greater.
Start a Shark Teeth Collection
No matter how common (or uncommon) the megalodon teeth are, people are constantly searching for them in hopes of adding them to their collection. While a smaller and more common tooth may be in most people's collections, an avid collector is always looking for other megalodon teeth different from the ones they have already collected.
The appeal of having something from 2.6 million years ago derived from the most giant shark that ever lived makes megalodon teeth something that everyone wants to get their hands on. While many shark enthusiasts have been collecting shark teeth for years, the Megalodon tooth is the first shark tooth for many new collectors.