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Seal heel bone with Great White Shark tooth fragment

Southern Maryland Chronicle  Ancient Shark vs. Seal Battle Captured in 4.5 Million-Year-Old Fossil

SOLOMONS, MD – A groundbreaking discovery has brought to light an ancient interaction between two of the ocean’s most formidable creatures. Scientists have uncovered the first-ever evidence of a great white shark tooth embedded in a fossilized seal bone, marking a significant milestone in our understanding of prehistoric marine life.

The remarkable find, consisting of the tip of a fossilized great white shark tooth within a seal’s heel bone, was surface collected by Paul R. Murdoch Jr. at the Mosaic’s South Fort Meade Mine in Florida, USA. This discovery provides concrete evidence that seals and great white sharks have been engaged in a predator-prey relationship for over 6 million years, a fact previously hypothesized but not directly proven until now.

Originating from the Pliocene Epoch, specifically within the Bone Valley Member of the Peace River Formation, the isolated seal bone is approximately 4.5 million years old. The partial tooth embedded in the bone has been identified as belonging to an Early Pliocene great white shark, scientifically known as Carcharodon carcharias. This instance represents the first occurrence of a great white shark tooth found embedded in any fossilized bone, offering a unique glimpse into the interactions between these ancient marine animals.

The international research team, including Stephen J. Godfrey from the Calvert Marine Museum in Maryland, USA; Paul R. Murdoch Jr. (CMM Research Associate);Leonard Dewaele of the Institute of Natural Sciences and Antwerp University, Belgium; Victor J. Perez from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, USA; and Clarence Schumaker of Day Break Studios, published their findings in the journal Comptes Rendu Palevol (https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiques/comptes-rendus-palevol).

Paul Murdoch (back right) with
Girl Scout troop on Fossil tour

The presence of the shark tooth in the seal’s hind flipper bone suggests an active predatory encounter rather than scavenging behavior. This deduction is further supported by the lack of evidence indicating any healing on the part of the seal, implying that the seal succumbed to the attack. This detail underscores the predatory prowess of the great white shark and provides a vivid snapshot of the natural history that has shaped the evolutionary paths of both species.

The discovery not only confirms the long-standing interaction between seals and great white sharks but also contributes significantly to our understanding of the ecological dynamics of ancient marine environments. By unveiling this direct evidence of predation, scientists can gain deeper insights into the behavior, diet, and hunting strategies of one of the ocean’s most iconic predators, as well as the survival challenges faced by its prey.

Paul Murdoch is a local guy with a long standing interest in paleontology. He has found at least one new species of dolphin in fossils from the cliffs, which he kindly had named after his wife, Hillary. He is a very active member of the community, serving on both the local water board (with me), and in the local homeowners association (with Georgia). He is a regular on the beach, where he supplements his retirement income by leading fossil finding tours with his company Chesapeake Heritage And Paleontology Tours, aka CHAP tours, which I recommend to anyone who wants to start fossil hunting more systematically that wandering on the beach and picking up things, which is our strategy.