The Dorsal Fin

UPDATE: CBS Miami has posted a video of the C. Megalodon going for a ride.

According to Florida’s Local10.com, a “life-size” C. megalodon replica was seen traveling south on Interstate 95 in Florida this morning. The enormous replica was being transported on the back of flat-bed trailer on its way to the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Science and Discovery. The replica body was missing its fins and tail region (fear not, it was not the victim of finning) and created somewhat of a spectacle while traveling down the road.

The shark replica will be on display as part of the Prehistoric Florida exhibit in the museum’s EcoDiscovery Center. The exhibit is scheduled to open in mid-November.

You can check out a video of the C. Megalodon en route at Local10.com.

Heritage Auctions recently released a promotional video for the prehistoric Megalodon shark jaw that is now up for auction. The replica shark jaw contains 182 genuine fossilized C. megalodon shark teeth.

While the video makes the statement that the Megalodon species grew to 70′ (21m) in length, the actual length of now-extinct species is still a subject of debate. However, estimates of the length of the shark typically range from 40′-60′ (12m-18m).

Additionally, the genus of the species has also been called into question by some paleontologists. One school of thought includes the species in the Carcharodon genus (the same genus as the great white shark), while the other school of thought creates a unique genus, Carcharocles, for the species. The Carcharocles genus is also part of separate family, Otodontidae, according to an elasmo-research.org article.

Bids on the Megalodon shark jaw can be made online at the Heritage Auctions website.

C. Megalodon was believed to have reached lengths of up to 50 feet (15m).

According to the Discovery News article, Prehistoric Shark Nursery Spawned Giants, paleontologists have discovered what is believed to be a breeding ground for the prehistoric shark known as C. megalodon (you can argue amongst yourselves about whether it is Carcharodon megalodon or Charcharocles megalodon). According to the article, researchers have found a "stash" of C. megalodon teeth measuring between 0.5 inches and 3 inches (1.3-7.6cm). Adult teeth from the species can measure up to 6 inches (15cm). Researcher, Catalina Pimiento (Univ. of Fla.), has determined the teeth to belong almost exclusively to juveniles of the species, based on comparisons with other fossilized adult teeth. The find in Panama is only the second of its kind to be discovered. Another cache of juvenile C. megalodon teeth was discovered in South Carolina, although in the case of that site adult teeth as well as whale skulls were also discovered. The Panama site appears to be the first site discovered exclusively with juvenile shark teeth, indicating that the area might have served as a "shark nursery," a habitat that would have enabled juvenile sharks to reach maturity with minimized predatory threats. According to Pimiento…

"These areas are and have been essential habitats for sharks’ survival, and without them the animals would not be able to succeed. Now they are typically coastal zones where humans overfish and construct. So what this study is telling us is that these areas have been used by sharks for millions of years, and we need to preserve them so sharks can successfully reproduce and survive."