On Christmas Day 2022, while wading in the Chesapeake Bay, Molly Sampson, age 9, made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.
According to the Calvert Marine Museum, Sampson supposedly came across a massive Megalodon tooth on Christmas morning while searching for fossils.
The mother of the girl, Alicia Sampson, spoke with USA TODAY about the fossil.
When asked how her daughter was feeling that morning, the woman replied, “She was beyond happy.” She had wanted to stumble upon it. Since she was a young child, she had been scurrying along the shore in search of shark teeth. Molly had previously requested “shark-tooth hunting waders for Christmas” that year. The Sampson family started their search for shark teeth as soon as their waterproof gear was delivered.
With her extended arms and her hands, Molly searched for the elusive tooth. I was stunned,” she said to the press. I believed I was dreaming. I found it difficult to accept that it was true.
The young girl shared her inspirational find with her neighborhood museum so that it may be investigated rather than keeping it to herself. Later, she recalled that they were ecstatic.
Stephen Godfrey, curator of paleontology at the Calvert Marine Museum shared that megalodon teeth have frequently been found along the Calvert Cliffs. One that big is, however, relatively uncommon. It’s estimated that the object is 15 million years old.
The museum wrote on its Facebook page, “We love seeing and hearing about the gems you find on the shore.” In addition, they noted their “First Fossil Friday” initiative, which aids individuals like Molly in fossil identification. We expect Molly and the others to enjoy many more beautiful beach days.
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