Snorkeling Teen Finds Shark Tooth

Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:19 PM EDT

science, tooth, clair-river, port-huron, shark-tooth, david-wentz, marysville-beach

PORT HURON — David Wentz was snorkeling off Marysville Beach in the St. Clair River last August when what he thought was an odd-looking rock caught his eye. "I didn't know what to think," the 16-year-old Port Huron resident said.

His father, Craig, said he knew right away what it was due to hours of watching the Discovery Channel.

"It's a shark tooth," Craig Wentz said. "It's petrified. It's rock."

Michigan State University paleontologist Michael Gottfried told the Times Herald of Port Huron that the 3-inch long tooth comes from an extinct species called Carcharodon megalodon, or the "megatooth" shark.

The megalodon, which went extinct 2 million years ago, was larger than any building in Port Huron, reaching lengths of more than 60 feet. By comparison, Great White sharks generally are about 20 feet long.

The megatooth shark ate about 1,500 pounds of food a day, mostly feeding on whales and other large marine creatures.

Gottfried doesn't think the tooth is from a shark that may have been in the Great Lakes region during two different prehistoric eras, dating back from a half-million years to 300 to 400 million years ago, when it was a "shallow marine environment" filled with sharks, whales and other aquatic life.

"I suspect that it was probably carried and dropped by a human inhabitant of the region, either in recent historical times, or perhaps by earlier native people in this area," he said.

"I can't say just how it came to be in the St. Clair River, but I can assure you that there aren't any sharks with 3-inch teeth living there now."

___

Information from: Times Herald, http://www.thetimesherald.com

10 Votes
Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.

Published to:

Associated Press's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: none
Regions: United States , Detroit

What's this?

Who's leading the conversation?

This visualization below allows you to see the impact that each user has on the current conversation. The top row contains the group of users who have had the most impact, the 2nd row the group of users who have had the 2nd most impact (et cetera). Users with similar impact are grouped together, and the average score of the group is shown to the left of the group. The author of the article is also shown on the left, in their corresponding group. Each user's score is based on the number of comments the user has made plus the number of votes their comments have received. The scores are calculated relative one another, so while their absolute value is not particularly important, their relative difference does indicate a larger difference in impact on the conversation.

6.1

{"commentId":1627812,"authorDomain":"behindmyscreen"}

Behind My Screen

Cool find.

That tooth is worth a lot of money.

{"commentId":1627812,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"behindmyscreen"}

1 vote

#1 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:34 PM EDT

{"commentId":1627839,"authorDomain":"bluemutiny"}

Robbie Lawrence

His father, Craig, said he knew right away what it was due to hours of watching the Discovery Channel.

Bet he's fat too.

{"commentId":1627839,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"bluemutiny"}

4 votes

#2 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:41 PM EDT

{"commentId":1628099,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

I'm sure he is. I had to give up on the Discovery Channel, way to many calories.

{"commentId":1628099,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#2.1 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":1628549,"authorDomain":"behindmyscreen"}

Behind My Screen

Myth Busters is pretty high in Calories, usually every day.

{"commentId":1628549,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"behindmyscreen"}

3 votes

#2.2 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:43 PM EDT

{"commentId":1628555,"authorDomain":"wharrison55"}

Bill Harrison

Actually megalodon toofers aren't all that rare. You can find bunches of them at Calvert Cliffs in Maryland.

{"commentId":1628555,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"wharrison55"}

3 votes

#2.3 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:45 PM EDT

{"commentId":1628642,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Calvert Cliffs is paradise for finding goodies.

{"commentId":1628642,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#2.4 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630366,"authorDomain":"behindmyscreen"}

Behind My Screen

Hmm...

I never knew that.

BTW, for those who are puzzled a bit about my last comment or do not get the joke, There is a difference between 'Calorie' and 'calorie'.

{"commentId":1630366,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"behindmyscreen"}

1 vote

#2.5 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630400,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

The other section of that park that is very close to the main section is called Scientists Cliffs. I used to explore that as a kid all the time as we would go up to it via boat and find all kinds of interesting fossils, by land, you have to get permission, the nice thing is that its not as picked over as the main part of Calvert Cliffs and its very easy to find items there.

{"commentId":1630400,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

1 vote

#2.6 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:36 PM EDT

{"commentId":1628606,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

I think It's cool, rare or not, what a find, at least he was discovering and not watching it on TV. I wonder how many calories newsvine has lol.

{"commentId":1628606,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"attreau"}

3 votes

#3 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:03 PM EDT

{"commentId":1628619,"authorDomain":"anthopos"}

Perry O

"I can't say just how it came to be in the St. Clair River, but I can assure you that there aren't any sharks with 3-inch teeth living there now."

Whew! I was worried!

{"commentId":1628619,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"anthopos"}

3 votes

#4 - Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:07 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630403,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

They have all moved south to Florida for the warmer water and fatter tourists :-)

{"commentId":1630403,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#4.1 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:37 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630461,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Oh no Not Florida!

{"commentId":1630461,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"attreau"}

2 votes

#4.2 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:50 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630540,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Opps ! forgot about you...Hey Sharks, go east, Cuba is nice and warm, good Rum....

{"commentId":1630540,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#4.3 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:07 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630571,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

Phew....Close Call!!

{"commentId":1630571,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"attreau"}

2 votes

#4.4 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:14 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630598,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

I don't like the thought of losing a good friend, that was a bit close, sorry about that.

{"commentId":1630598,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#4.5 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:21 PM EDT

{"commentId":1630771,"authorDomain":"attreau"}

Andrea A

I could almost feel the hot breath of the upcoming onslaught....but thanks to Super-Ted, my blond ambitious super viner hero.. another near biting thankfully has occurred.

{"commentId":1630771,"threadId":"241190","contentId":"1394621","authorDomain":"attreau"}

1 vote

#4.6 - Fri Mar 28, 2008 2:03 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"241190","isPrivate":false}

Backyard

Snorkeling Teen Finds Shark Tooth

Published to:

FUN STUFF:

COMPANY STUFF:

LEGAL STUFF:

	Mich. Teen Finds Fossilized Shark Tooth	Associated Press	Thu Mar 27	0
	Snorkeling teen finds shark tooth	krishna-167929	Fri Mar 28	1