Before anyone could photograph, study, or place Megalodon teeth on a shelf it was doing something less peaceful. It was a part of one of the largest predatory sharks to ever inhabit Earth’s oceans. The tooth slid off. That would be it for the majority of things. It could be also the beginning of a story for fossils.
The fossils provided by Fossil Driven have traveled through a geological process measured not in centuries or decades, but in millions of years. This process can alter the way you view fossils. It’s no longer just looking at an intriguing object. You’re viewing physical evidence from an era long gone.
The First Station: An Ancient Ocean
Megalodon’s teeth are from West Java in Indonesia. At around 20 million years ago, areas of dry land that we are seeing today were warm marine environments. Megalodon sharks were a common sight in these prehistoric waters as well as countless other forms of marine life.
Image credit: fossildriven.com
Like modern sharks Megalodon continually produced teeth and then lost them. Some of the teeth were buried in marine sediments. In the right conditions, burial could protect them enough to allow them to fossilize.
Then, Geology took over
The next chapter moved incredibly slowly. Sediments were accumulating. Minerals reacted with the material that was buried. Geological forces changed landscapes and submerged landscapes transformed into land. Those processes help explain something shoppers immediately notice when looking at megalodon teeth for sale: genuine fossil teeth can have dramatically different colors.
Indonesian specimens found in the West Java’s Miocene Bentang Formation may appear in a variety of shades, including tan or gold and brown, red, and blue. They may also show different shades within one tooth. The surrounding minerals can affect the appearance of fossils after it has been placed in a grave for a long time. Nature is unable to reproduce the effects in the mass. Every fossil has been through its own geological story.
Discovery Begins a New Chapter
A fossil which was hidden for many millions of years is recovered. The identification and documentation of the fossil are now essential.
Collectors don’t just look at the appearance of megalodon teeth when they search for them. The information about the locality, age of the geological formation preservation, repairs, and restorations can provide a better understanding of what the collectors actually are taking a look at.
Natural wear is not a way to erase the past of the fossil. A worn edge, an imperfect root, or an insufficient serration might be simply a result of what happened to that specimen before and after burial. It is vital to accurately represent its condition.
Fossil Driven has more than 13 years of experience in the identification of fossils and works with established suppliers and fossil hunters. When possible, specimens are described, and then analyzed using all relevant details.
The Fossil gets into the hands of a person eventually
Real Fossils are purchased for many different reasons. Some collect carefully-categorized collections. Some people want one dramatic piece that sparks discussion. A child that is fascinated by the fossils from the past could receive a initial fossil which sparks the process of developing a passion for paleontology that will last a lifetime.
Megalodons are but one of the many entrances that lead to this world. Dinosaur tooth, mosasaur, trilobites and ammonites as in addition to mammoth and ammonite and amber material are preserved in various chapters of Earth’s history.
The most satisfying thing is knowing it’s real
A replica could replicate the shape and size of teeth that was found in prehistory. It’s not able to replicate its past. The Megalodon teeth were discovered in animals from the past that lived in completely different environments that we live in present day. They were able to withstand geological changes and were buried for millions of years, and then were discovered.
That is what makes authenticity essential. A fossil is an evidence of a trip that has been almost impossible to imagine. The display case represents its most recent stop.