A young girl has been left shocked after discovering a rare 15-million-year-old shark tooth on a beach. Molly Sampson, 9, was out combing the beach on Christmas day when she made the incredible discovery.
The Mirror reports that the nine-year-old was out with her family in Maryland, US, when she came across a five-inch tooth. The tooth belonged to a megalodon shark, which have been extinct for more than 3.6 million years, according to National Geographic.
Molly's mum, Alicia, says her husband is an avid shark tooth hunter and their child has followed in his footsteps. Speaking to The Washington Post, Alicia said: "Molly has been searching for a meg because she knows how big they can be, and also how rare they are
"Molly has literally been shark tooth hunting since she could walk on the beach." After making their latest discovery, the family got the tooth examined at the Calvert Marine Museum.
The curator of palaeontology at the musuem, Stephen Godfrey, revealed that it belonged to a species known as Otodus meglaodon. He confirmed that the tooth was around 15-million-years-old.
The curator added that he believed the shark would have been between 45 and 50 feet in length. Godfrey said: "Megalodon teeth are found on a fairly regular basis along Calvert Cliffs, however one that large is rare indeed.
"I was very happy for Molly because I have known for some time now that she is passionate about becoming a palaeontologist, and her find may well seal the deal."
Calvert Marine Museum shared Molly's find on social media, with a collection of videos and images from the prize find. The caption on the Instagram post read: "Future paleontologist, Molly, was out searching for fossils on Christmas morning, when what to her wondering eyes appeared…but a huge megalodon tooth!
"Molly was excited to share her awesome find with our paleontology department last week at the museum. We love seeing and hearing about the treasures you find along the shore.
"Enjoy Molly’s photos below! The third photo is of her largest and smallest shark teeth found along Calvert beaches."
Godfrey admitted that the tooth could be sold for a high price due to its rarity. However, he admitted that he was confident Molly would stay loyal to the ancient fossil.
He added: "Molly will never sell her find because the life-affirming value it holds is priceless."
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