About This Quiz
If you're going to collect something, why not shark teeth? Many shark teeth are prehistoric and have a fascinating look to them. Take our quiz to learn more about the fun you can have collecting shark teeth.You can go to any beach in search of shark's teeth, but "the" place to go is Venice, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sharks do not have any bones at all; their skeletons are made of cartilage.
Cartilage, fat, and muscle all dissolve over time in the ocean's salt water, leaving only the teeth, which eventually wash up on the beach.
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Sharks teeth are made of dentine and enamel, which do not dissolve in salt water.
Human teeth remain in place because of their roots; shark teeth do not have roots, so they fall out easily and often.
A shark will have anywhere between five and 15 rows of teeth at any given time in its life.
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Sharks have so many teeth that no one tooth is very important. Sharks will keep a tooth for about a week.
Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, making most shark teeth fossils.
A shark tooth will fossilize at the bottom of the ocean over the course of 10,000 years.
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When one of these teeth hits the bottom of the ocean it often gets covered with sandy sediment, which protects it while it fossilizes.
The teeth of a megalodon, a giant pre-historic shark, are always in high demand, and are considered the most valuable of shark teeth.
Great whites are anywhere from seven to 20 feet long.
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The average megalodon was more than 60 feet long, making it large even by prehistoric standards. It was larger, for instance, than the T-Rex!
One megalodon tooth can be as much as seven inches long, and its size is one of the main factors in determining its value.
A fossilized megalodon tooth will often weigh about one pound.
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Where the surf turns inward there is usually a drop in the floor of the sea. This area, known as a wash-in, is the place to go to look for collectables -- shark teeth in particular.
During high tide the water moves around so aggressively at the wash-in that you can't really hope to see, let alone grab, anything. Wait for morning low tide, when things are calm and quiet.
Storms kick up a lot of stuff from deep in the ocean, and as the water settles, some of these items end up on or near the shore. Try looking for shark teeth after a big storm.
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The beaches along the coast of Bakersfield, California are home to many of the world's largest shark teeth.