Long before anyone could place the Megalodon tooth on a shelf, take a picture of it, or even study its serrated edge, the tooth was performing something else, and it was not peaceful. The tooth was part of the largest predatory fish ever live in the oceans of Earth. Then the tooth was lost. It was the end for a lot of objects. For a dinosaur fossil it could be the very beginning.
Image credit: fossildriven.com
The specimens offered by Fossil Driven have traveled through a geological process measured not in years or centuries, but in millions of years. The understanding of this journey alters the way you view the fossil. It’s not just an interesting thing to look at. You’re witnessing physical evidence of an era that ended many years ago.
First Stop: An Ancient Ocean
Think about the Megalodon teeth found in West Java, Indonesia. Around 20 million years ago, the regions of dry land we have today were marine warm environments. Megalodons as well as other marine creatures lived in these prehistoric seas, as did Megalodons.
Megalodon also shed teeth in a similar way to sharks of today. Some of the teeth eventually were buried in marine sediments. If the conditions are ideal, burial can protect them sufficient time to permit fossilization.
Then Geology Suddenly Takes Over
The next chapter progressed slowly. Sediments began to accumulate. Minerals were able to react with the material that was buried. Geological forces changed landscapes and submerged landscapes transformed into land. These processes explain what buyers immediately notice when looking at megalodon teeth for sale authentic fossil teeth be extremely different in color.
Indonesian specimens found in West Java’s Miocene Bentang Formation can appear in shades of tan or gold along with brown, red, and blue. They can also display many shades within a single tooth. The environment surrounding the specimen may affect the color of a specimen after a long burial. It is therefore impossible to reproduce in mass quantities through nature. Each fossil has been through an evolutionary process.
Discovery begins a new chapter
In the end, a fossil that has been hidden for decades is finally discovered. This is when identification and documentation becomes important.
Collectors aren’t content with the appearance of megalodon’s teeth when they search for them. The details regarding the locale, age of the geological formation, preservation, repairs and restorations can provide a better understanding of what collectors are actually looking at.
Natural wear is not a way to erase the past of the fossil. A worn tip, imperfect root, or an insufficient serration can simply be part of what happened to the specimen prior to and following burial. The most important thing is describing its condition in a precise manner.
Fossil Driven brings over 13 years of fossil identification expertise to that process and works with established fossil hunters and suppliers. Where possible, fossils are described, and then analyzed using the most relevant details.
The Fossil will eventually land in the hands of someone
There are many motives why people purchase fossils. Some make carefully classified collections. Some prefer a single striking conversation piece. A child interested in ancient creatures could receive the very first fossil which sparks an interest in paleontology.
Megalodon teeth are just one entry point into this world. Dinosaur tooth, mosasaur trilobites and ammonites as well as mammoth, ammonite and amber material are preserved in diverse sections of the Earth’s past.
The greatest thing is knowing it’s real
Replicas can replicate the shape and general appearance of a tooth from the past. It isn’t able to recreate its past. A genuine Megalodon tooth existed in an animal of the past, entered into a different environment than the present, survived geological change, remained buried for hundreds of years and eventually was discovered.
This is why authenticity is essential. A fossil is an actual reminder of a journey that has been difficult to imagine. The display case is the latest stage.