Only ordinary seashells, sea glass, driftwood, and the uncommon message in a bottle are ever discovered by beachcombers. Searching the sand for something other than a fallen candy wrapper, nevertheless, may be amusing.
Beachgoers who are searching in the sand for further buried treasures are excited when fossils wash up on the coast. A interesting pastime that combines time outdoors with prehistoric history is fossil collecting.
Instead of seeking for a raptor in Montana’s dry earth, walk into the river to search for these ancient artifacts with a sieve and a shovel, or maybe just your bare hands. If you start with preserved shark teeth, the author claims that fossil hunting might be simple and affordable. On public beaches, they are typically in great number.
Occasionally, fossil collectors discover proof of the enormous creatures that formerly swam in the deep depths, but finger-sized teeth are more common. A once-in-a-lifetime find, the Megalodon.
The Early Miocene to the Pliocene periods, which span a time period of 23 to 3.6 million years, are when this extinct mackerel shark, whose name translates as “great teeth,” first appeared. The palm-sized fangs of these terrible creatures, while extinct, are nevertheless sometimes seen. Anyone who goes further into the water will be terrified by the fangs, which can grow to be several inches long.
Incredible fossils that resemble those from the “Jaws” movie may be found in Maryland’s Calvert Beach. On Christmas Day 2022, Molly Sampson, age 9, made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery while wading in the Chesapeake Bay.
The woman supposedly came upon a massive Megalodon tooth on Christmas morning while searching for fossils, according to the Calvert Marine Museum.
Alicia Sampson, the mother of the girl, spoke with USA TODAY about the fossil. When asked how her daughter was doing that morning, the woman said, “She was beyond happy.” She had wanted to stumble across it. Since she was a young child, she had been scurrying down the coast in search of shark teeth. Molly had previously requested “shark-tooth hunting waders for Christmas” that year. The Sampson family started their search for shark teeth as soon as their waterproof gear was delivered.
With her extended arms and her hands, Molly searched for the elusive tooth. I was stunned,” she said to the press. I believed I was dreaming. I found it difficult to comprehend that it was real.
The little girl shared her inspired find to her neighborhood museum so that it may be investigated rather than keeping it to herself. Later, she recalled that they were thrilled.
According to Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum, megalodon teeth have regularly been found along the Calvert Cliffs. One so big is, however, relatively uncommon. It’s estimated that the item is 15 million years old.
The museum wrote on its Facebook page, “We love seeing and hearing about the gems you find on the shore.” Additionally, they noted their “First Fossil Friday” initiative, which aids individuals like Molly in fossil identification. We expect Molly and the others to have many more beautiful beach days.
