9-year-old Molly Sampson has always been fascinated by fossils and paleontology.
On Christmas Day, she and her family were out on Calvert Beach in Maryland searching for fossils when she made a discovery that would change her life.
Molly found the fossil of a lifetime – a prehistoric Megalodon tooth!
This is a truly remarkable find, as Megalodon teeth are highly sought-after by paleontologists and collectors alike.
The rare megalodon tooth.
After her discovery, Molly decided to take her treasure to the Calvert Marine Museum to share her amazing find with others.
The museum shared photos of Molly and the Megalodon tooth on their social media accounts, along with the photo above where you can see they have the jaw of a Megalodon.
These photos quickly went viral, and Molly became an overnight sensation.
It turns out, Molly might’ve spoken this into existence!
She kept telling her mother “(‘I’m) looking for a Meg.”
About the Megalodon.
Molly’s discovery is not only exciting for her, but also for the scientific community.
Megalodon is an extinct species of shark that lived around 20 to 3.6 million years ago.
These sharks were enormous in size, with teeth that can measure up to 7 inches.
They are estimated to have grown from 50-60 feet in length, and each Megalodon had a jawline filled with 276 teeth!
Their fossilized teeth are typically found along coastlines, like where Molly found hers.
Extinction of the Megalodon.
It is believed that the Megalodon went extinct between 2.5 and 3.5 million years ago when Earth experienced a phase of global cooling.
Because Megalodon lived in tropical waters, the cooling led to their extinction likely by contributing to the loss of habitat but also the loss of their prey.
Are we sure Megalodon aren’t hiding in the depths of the ocean?
As many conspiracies have been created around this topic, it is not true that the Megalodon is living in the deep depths of the ocean.
Scientists seem certain that if an animal as large as the Megalodon was still living on the earth, then we would definitely know about it!
Molly’s impact around the world.
After Molly’s finding went viral on the internet, her mom said that children from all over the world have been sending her letters sharing their excitement about her finding the Megalodon tooth!
After seeing this response, the family made a dedicated Instagram page for Molly’s adventures in hopes that they will continue to inspire children to get outside and explore and embrace the world around them.
Molly’s Adventures.
On her Instagram, you can see that Molly has now officially collected over 400 fossils!
She keeps them all in a box to display as a reminder of her aspiration to become a paleontologist.
At this rate, with her passion and the amazing support of her family, I think we all have confidence that this dream of hers will definitely come true.
Click the video below to learn more about Molly’s amazing discovery below!
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