American resident Michael Bowers and his 11-year-old son Bo have discovered a fossilized tooth belonging to a prehistoric giant megalodon shark on a New Jersey beach, according to local news outlet NJ.com.
The discovery occurred while the pair were walking along a stone pier on the coastline. Bowers noticed a narrow opening between the heavy rocks and asked his young son to reach his hand inside to feel what was hidden there.
Within moments, the boy reached into the gap and pulled out a fossil that resembled a large tooth.
Father and son took the specimen to the Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center for expert identification. Specialists at the research center examined the item and confirmed that the tooth belonged to a megalodon, an ancient ocean predator.
Bowers admitted that finding a megalodon tooth had been on his personal bucket list for a long time, saying that his knees were shaking when experts confirmed the discovery.
Beach replenishment and fossil origins
Researchers believe the ancient tooth arrived on the shoreline inside sand that had been transported to replenish local beaches. Discoveries of this nature are considered rare along the New Jersey coast.
Beach nourishment is a common coastal management technique along the Atlantic coastline, where sand is dredged from offshore underwater deposits and pumped onto beaches to combat erosion. Cape May is situated at the southern tip of New Jersey, where strong ocean currents regularly move coastal sediments.
Prehistoric megalodon shark facts
The megalodon was a giant prehistoric shark that lived in ancient seas approximately 23 million to 3.6 million years ago.
It is regarded as one of the largest predatory fish in history, with scientific estimates indicating that it grew to lengths of up to 18 meters. The creature possessed massive teeth measuring up to 18 centimeters long, which it used to tear apart large marine prey such as whales.
Recent prehistoric animal discoveries
The find in New Jersey follows a separate prehistoric discovery reported in the United Kingdom, where a young researcher accidentally uncovered a bone belonging to the oldest known dog, estimated to be about 15.8 thousand years old.
