Girl Finds Enormous Megalodon Tooth on Maryland Beach on Christmas Day

A girl found an enormous 5-inch megalodon tooth on a Maryland beach on Christmas Day. The 9-year-old, named Molly, had been out searching for fossils along Calvert Beach in the morning when she made the discovery.

Otodus megalodon was a giant shark species that is thought to have evolved around 20 million years ago. It swam in the world's oceans for 13 million years before becoming extinct.

The species is believed to be one of the largest and most powerful predators to have ever lived, and scientists think it could have grown up to 50 to 60 feet long. The great white shark is a very close relative of the megalodon.

Molly's mother, Alicia, told Newsweek: "For Christmas this year, Molly's only request was for insulated chest waders because she hadn't been able to go out far looking for fossils since it got cold.

"My husband has always told her that winter is the best time of year to find them. As soon as we finished breakfast, Molly, Natalie—Molly's sister—and my husband all suited up and headed to the cliffs."

As Molly left, she told her mother: "I'm going to look for a meg!"

The girl was wading in knee-deep water and searching the sand when she spotted the huge tooth. She then dove into the water and grabbed it.

"Thirty minutes after they left, my husband sent me that picture of her in the water holding that tooth. I thought they were playing a joke on me," Alicia said.

At 5 inches, the tooth is the biggest ever found in Calvert County.

Most of the known megalodon remains have teeth such as these. The biggest one ever found measures nearly 7 inches long. Because of their similarity in shape, it can be difficult to tell the difference between megalodon teeth and great white shark teeth. Shark teeth fossilize quite easily, but the rest of the animal is rarely found preserved.

Megalodons lived in seas worldwide, and their fossilized teeth can be found in coastal areas all over the world.

Molly, who wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up, went to the nearby Calvert Marine Museum to show the tooth to the museum's paleontology department.

"My husband grew up in Scientist' Cliffs [in Calvert County] and has hunted for teeth ever since he was a little kid. He literally has dreams about finding teeth like one Molly found," Alicia said.

"So thanks to him he got my kids started early with fossil hunting. Molly has been walking the beach with him since before she could even walk on her own. I know there are people who have literally searched for decades to find something like this.

"Molly is almost 10, so for her it's been less than a decade of hunting, but it is definitely not beginner's luck for her," Alicia continued. "I think she feels like all her searching finally paid off. She has said she wants to be a paleontologist a few times over the last few years, but I think this may have sealed the deal for her on that."

In the U.S., common places to come across the teeth are along the southeastern Atlantic coast, in Georgia, Florida, the Carolinas and Maryland.

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