A Saint John auction house has opened online bidding on a collection of megalodon shark teeth that are millions of years old.
Sarah Jones, curator at Jones Auction House, said interest has already picked up for the teeth of the extinct species, which lived about 3.6 million to 23 million to years ago.
Since the auction opened earlier this week, “the teeth have kind of taken off, most of them are within or above the estimated range already,” said Jones.
The collection includes six fossilized teeth that range in size and shape, with a starting bid of $300. As of Wednesday evening, the highest bid was up to $1,000.
Jones said the teeth range in size from 7.6 centimetres to about 15 centimetres (three to six inches) in length. And the textures range from a polished finish to a more natural state.
“The teeth are huge because the sharks themselves were insanely massive,” said Jones.
“Some of them have barnacles and corals attached,” she said, and they are various shades of brown, grey and black.
Jones Auction House in Saint John is taking bids on six teeth that once belonged to the megalodon — a massive species of shark that’s been extinct for millions of years.
The megalodon species was known for its giant size. A recent study suggests the shark had a slender body up to 24 metres in length, weighing up to 94 tonnes.
In comparison, great white sharks can grow up to six metres long and weigh as much as 1.8 tonnes.
“These sharks would shed their teeth in the same way that modern-day sharks do, so megalodon teeth are a relatively common fossil specimen,” said Jones.
“Usually the larger the tooth and the better-preserved it is, the more valuable it is.”
Megalodon teeth are the one of the most common fossilized remains of the species because the rest of their body is cartilage, which doesn’t fossilize well and would disintegrate over time.
Jones said these megalodon teeth came from a New Brunswick collector.
“He has a massive, massive collection of natural history specimens and has been collecting megalodon teeth for decades.”
“He’s a well-established and respected and knowledgeable expert, so he knows what he’s doing.”
Jones said the New Brunswick collector selling the teeth got them from North Carolina.
“This collector has connections with the actual divers who will go down and find these and bring them up,” she said.
Jones said the auction house usually handles artwork and luxury items, including watches and designer handbags, and this is the first time it puts fossils up for auction.
“That’s what makes it so special for us.”
The auction closes on March 30.
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