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Carcharodon Megalodon

Megalodon fossil jaw is suspended from the ceiling in the Museum's Hall of Vertebrate Origins. See fossilized Carcharodon megalodon teeth in the Hall of Vertebrate Origins.
© AMNH

Evolution of sharks can be traced back over 400 million years. The most famous extinct shark is Carcharodon megalodon. This animal, which lived in the seas 10 million years ago, easily dwarfed modern white sharks.

Fossilized Carcharodon teeth are found all around the world, but some of the best preserved are from North Carolina, like those exhibited at the Museum.