Megalodon - Fossil tooth - 11.5 cm

Megalodon - Fossil tooth - 11.5 cm
Neogene, Miocene (23.03 - 5.33 million years ago) - Indonesia
Extraordinary specimen of a fossil tooth belonging to Carcharocles megalodon, the largest shark ever to have lived on Earth, extinct about 3.6 million years ago.
Characteristics:
Shape: Triangular, robust and symmetric, typical of anterior/lateral teeth of the jaw
Conservation: Excellent — enamel well preserved with clearly visible vertical striations along the edges
Color: natural brown/amber, the fruit of sedimentary mineralization that occurred over millions of years
Roots and bourlette subjected to restoration with the original sedimentary matrix still adhering
Serration: Very fine and well preserved on the cutting edges (carinae)
State of preservation: Excellent for a fossil of this age.
Collector interest: A piece with strong visual impact, ideal for fossil collectors, paleontology enthusiasts, or as a high‑quality decorative element.
Otodus megalodon (the species name, megalodon, derives from Greek and means "great tooth"), commonly known as megalodon or megalodonte, is an extinct species of giant shark that lived from the early Miocene to the early Pliocene, about 23–3.6 million years ago (Aquitian–Zanclean), whose large fossil teeth demonstrate a cosmopolitan distribution. In the past, O. megalodon was thought to be a member of the Lamnidae family and a close relative of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), but subsequent studies have reclassified it within the extinct Otodontidae family, which diverged from the lineage of the great white during the Early Cretaceous.

Size estimates for the megalodon vary depending on the method used, with maximum projected total lengths between 14.2 and 20.3 meters.