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On Christmas morning, while spending her holiday wading through the freezing cold waters near the Calvert Cliffs, 9-year-old Molly Sampson unearthed a relic of the past when she found a massive prehistoric Megalodon tooth nearly the size of her head.
“I’m pretty sure Molly is feeling like this is the best Christmas ever,” her mother, Alicia, gushed on Facebook. “Her and (sister) Natalie asked for insulated waders to go sharks-tooth hunting like professionals…. then of course (the) first thing they do is put them on and go out hunting.
“Look at the size of the tooth Molly just found,” she continued. “This tooth was in the water, so thanks to the waders she got, the best part of her present!”
The tooth was taken to the Calvert Marine Museum, where its identity was confirmed before Molly could add it to her extensive collection of shark teeth.
“We love seeing and hearing about the treasures you find along the shore,” museum officials posted on social media. "New in 2023 is our First Fossil Friday program. On the first Friday of every month, we invite the public to bring their findings to the museum to be identified by museum staff.”
The prehistoric Megalodon Shark ruled the water millions of years ago and is a close relative to the great white shark. It is regarded as one of the largest and most powerful predators in existence, though it’s only known from fragmentary remains, as its body was largely cartilage that decomposes.
According to Shark Insider, “the majority of their bodies were not fossilized; cartilage usually disintegrates too fast for the fossilization process to occur.
“Therefore, there are still many factors of the Megalodon that we are unsure of," they continued. “Luckily, some teeth have been found and investigated.
“Because of this, paleontologists have managed to uncover quite a few facts about these amazing creatures, and although many specifics are still being debated, there are a few things that most are definitely in agreement on.”
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