A six-year-old boy has found shark teeth belonging to a giant prehistoric megalodon that may be 20 million years old. Sammy Shelton discovered a 10-inch (4-inch) tooth during a vacation at Bawdsey Beach in Suffolk.
Expert Prof Ben Garrod has confirmed that it belongs to Megalodon - the giant shark ever.
His father, Peter Shelton, said Sammy slept with him by his bed because he was "very close to him."
The Broadwells were looking for fossils near Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk when they discovered the teeth of a giant shark, first reported on the Great Yarmouth Mercury. "Sammy was pleased to see the shark teeth on the beach, but not that big and heavy," said Mr. Shelton.
Photographs of the findings were sent to Prof Garrod, a radio and evolutionary biologist at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.
"It belongs to the megalodon, the largest shark of all time - and its teeth are not common off the coast of England," he said.
"Maybe only a few years, but these are excellent examples, in excellent condition, while they are usually quite tired when found." He said that Megalodon could grow to 18 meters (60 feet) in length; scientists estimate and weigh up to 60 tons.
Unlike anything floating in the waters at the time, they were "special whalers - they were ambush hunters," Professor Garrod said.
Megalodon
- He can eat whatever he wants, but his favorite food is a whale, although seals are also on the menu.
- Most of the hunting of these sharks takes place on the high seas (the young live closer to shore) and will attack prey near the surface while they are breathing.
- Megalodon can swim at high speed in a short time, so it tends to throw its prey from below.
- He will first try to neutralize his prey by injuring his fins or tail, and if he can't swim properly, the victim will be easily knocked down.
- It lived about 20 million years ago, long after the dinosaurs disappeared 65 million years ago.
