In a discovery straight out of a paleontologist’s dream, a 9-year-old girl from Maryland has stumbled upon a 15-million-year-old Megalodon tooth while exploring the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.
Molly Sampson, a budding fossil enthusiast, was walking along the beach with her family when she spotted a large, triangular object partially buried in the sand. What she uncovered was no ordinary seashell — it was a perfectly preserved tooth from the Megalodon, the largest shark species to ever swim the Earth’s oceans.
“I screamed! I couldn’t believe how big it was,” Molly said, holding the 5-inch-long fossil with a proud smile. “I’ve always wanted to find something like this.”
Experts from the Calvert Marine Museum confirmed the tooth belonged to a Megalodon (Otodus megalodon), a prehistoric predator that could grow up to 60 feet long and dominated the oceans between 3.6 and 23 million years ago.
“This is an extraordinary find,” said Dr. Stephen Godfrey, a paleontologist at the museum. “To discover a Megalodon tooth in such good condition — and by someone so young — is a moment of scientific wonder.”
The Chesapeake Bay region is known for its rich fossil beds, particularly near Calvert Cliffs, where ancient marine sediments preserve remnants of sharks, whales, and other marine life from the Miocene Epoch.
Molly, who dreams of becoming a marine biologist, now has her name etched into the community of amateur fossil hunters — and has inspired a wave of curiosity among children and adults alike.
