Phillip Mullaly, an Australian fossil enthusiast and teacher, made the discovery of his life on a beach in Australia. He discovered 25-million-year-old mega-shark teeth belonging to the Great Jagged Narrow-Toothed shark, scientifically called Carcharocles angustidens.
The teacher commented that he couldn’t believe his eyes when bumped into the 3-inch fossilized teeth of the extinct ancient marine creature while he was hiking along Victoria’s Surf Coast, in Australia, in the beach town of Jan Juc.
“I was walking along the beach looking for fossils, turned and saw this shining glint in a boulder and saw a quarter of the tooth exposed. I was immediately excited, it was just perfect, and I knew it was an important find that needed to be shared with people,” explained Phillip Mullaly.
The about 3-inch teeth belonged to one of the most significant predators that ever lived in the world’s oceans, the Great Jagged Narrow-Toothed shark.
The fossilized mega-shark teeth dated 25-million-year-old
The Great Jagged Narrow-Toothed shark was an ancient marine creature that lurked in the world’s oceans during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs, approximately between 33 and 22 million years ago. This ancient shark was over 30 feet in length and was one of the most magnificent sea predators of its times, and was closely related with the famous Megalodon.
Finding Great Jagged Narrow-Toothed shark’s teeth is of great scientific importance as could help researchers better comprehend how this ancient shark lived more than 25 million years ago.
“These teeth are of international significance, as they represent one of just three associated groupings of Carcharocles angustidens teeth in the world, and the very first set ever to be discovered in Australia,” stated Dr. Erich Fitzgerald, a Senior Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology.
The recently found fossilized mega-shark teeth were dated 25-million-year-old and are currently on display at the Melbourne Museum until October 7th.
