…Researched and contributed by Gift BADEWO.
A Surprising Discovery
Rachel Shill Cook went crystal hunting on a beach, but she ended up discovering far more than she anticipated.
She found a fossil of a massive prehistoric shark.
Rachel shared a photo of her discovery on The Fossil Forum where users identified it as a tooth from the otodus obliquus – a 30-foot shark from the same family as the famous megalodon.
A Mystery Unfolds
While the otodus is known to have roamed the world’s oceans between 66 and 2.6 million years ago, Rachel’s discovery along the Nechako River in British Columbia, Canada, raises some questions about how it got there.
According to News.com.au, Rachel said that she has had theories given to her about it being lost as a trinket with a local indigenous tribe or that it could have hitched a ride on a glacier thousands of years ago, although Central BC was never under ocean water.
She mentioned that these are her two favourite theories.
Excitement and Joy
Rachel’s find has left her thrilled, and she called it a special discovery. She said, “However it got here, I was so happy to find it.
I have found lots of treasures over the years but nothing that was so obviously a fossil.”
Rachel and her daughter Addison were excited about the discovery and felt that searching for crystals no longer has the same appeal as before.
What’s Next?
Rachel’s prehistoric relic has drawn the attention of collectors and museums interested in bidding for it, but Rachel hasn’t decided yet what she will do with it.
She said she might keep it as an interesting thing to show to visitors. For now, she has stored it in a Tupperware container at home.
Overall, Rachel’s discovery of a prehistoric shark tooth while hunting for crystals has sparked excitement and mystery, and it is sure to be a memorable moment for her and her daughter.