A boy accidentally made an amazing prehistoric discovery while enjoying vacation at North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. According to Palmetto Fossil Excursions (PFE), the boy discovered a 4.75-inch tooth belonging to the extinct megatooth shark Carcharocles angustidens while participating in a fossil-hunting excursion near Summerville.
The Palmetto Fossil Excursions shared a post on Facebook on Thursday congratulating the boy that included images of him holding the discovered tooth.
"CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! This young man just scored a 4.75" Angustiden tooth in our Premium Gravel Layer piles on a dry dig!!! Just to give perspective - Any Angustiden over 4" is the equivalent of finding a 6" Meg, and an Angustiden at 4.75" is the equivalent of finding a 6.5" Megalodon tooth!! Again, congratulations kiddo! Truly the find of a lifetime," the post read.
The post received hundreds of likes and numerous comments praising the boy for his love with fossils at this early age.
"Wow, that is one amazing fossil! Congratulations," wrote a user while another said, "Meet a future paleontologist! Good job young man."
According to PFE, discovering a tooth from this extinct shark species that is longer than 4 inches is equivalent to discovering a Megalodon tooth that is 6.5 inches long, Newsweek reported.
The iconic shark species known as Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) is believed to have extinct 3.6 million years ago. Over 20 million years ago, the earliest remains of it were discovered.
One of the biggest and most formidable predators to have ever existed was the Megalodon. The Natural History Museum in London states that some estimates place its maximum length at between 50 and 60 feet, the outlet further said.
The Florida Museum of Natural History states that Megalodon teeth can reach lengths of up to 7 inches, however 3 to 5 inches is the more typical range. This means that any tooth from this prehistoric species that is larger than 6.5 inches can be categorised as a big specimen.
