Beach Report 8/23/26 - Meg!

Not a big Megalodon tooth, or a particularly well preserved one, but a Meg nonetheless. The bourlette is kinda sorta visible, and the serrations are well worn but apparent.

And while it's not complete, it is more than a mere fragment.

Otherwise it was not a very hot day for fossils; 11 teeth, a crab claw and 2 drum teeth.

We had a very high tide yesterday, and we didn't even attempt the beach. Then we had three thunderstorms overnight, which dumped 2.4 inches of rain, mostly in a few minutes.

However, the cold front dropped the temperature and humidity out of the stupid range into tolerable.

There were a few changes at the beach. Some of the logs moved a bit.

Beach Report 8/11/26

Cooler than yesterday, mid 80s, thanks to a thunderstorm and cold front that rolled through last PM, it was still pretty warm and humid.

A pretty decent tide, with lots of shell and gravel

The best of 30 teeth, a stunning 1 1/2 inch White Shark ancestor, Carcharodon hastalis.

Beach Report 8/7/26

Hot and humid. Showing 93 F at home, maybe a little lower at the beach, but not too much because what little breeze there was came from the southwest, off the land.

It was a good low tide, with lots of 'stuff' to look through.

I found this big Snaggletooth upper, 1 1/4 inch, only a little worse of wear (it's missing some root) half buried next to the concrete rings that are sometimes used to make the little groins. It was the best of 20 teeth, a couple of drum's teeth, and the mandatory crab claw.

Science Resizes Megalodon

They made it bigger! At Palaeontologia electronica: Otodus megalodon vertebrae from Denmark, "Rediscovery of the associated gigantic vertebrae of the extinct megatooth shark, Otodus megalodon, from the Upper Miocene Gram Formation in Denmark, and comments on its paleobiological significance and the maximum possible size of the species."

Abstract:

The extinct megatooth shark, Otodus megalodon, is an iconic Neogene shark that may have reached as much as 24.3 m in total length (TL). The 24.3 m TL estimate was partly based on published photographs of an associated set of vertebrae from the Upper Miocene Gram Formation in Gram, Denmark, some of which allegedly had a diameter of 23 cm. Here, we report on the rediscovery of the specimen, which was thought to be lost, confirming the reported maximum diameter of 23 cm.

 

Those vertebrae co-occurred with remains of a cetorhinid (basking shark), but the morphology and size assessments of the vertebrae suggest that they belong to O. megalodon, with the possibility that the cetorhinid remains represent stomach content of the megatooth shark. The vertebral specimen of O. megalodon was also used to decipher its ontogenetic growth patterns, and this study suggests that this specific individual had the potential to grow even slightly larger than 24.3 m. However, the growth model presented in this work must be viewed as highly tentative. Nevertheless, the O. megalodon specimen described herein is significant because it represents the largest shark vertebral specimen known to date, and quite possibly even the largest non-tetrapod vertebrae ever recorded. Ultimately, a more complete skeletal specimen of O. megalodon, ideally with associated teeth, is required for any further discussion on the maximum possible size of the fossil species.

For those reluctant to use Euroweenie units 24.3 m equals 79.7 ft, and 23 cm equals about 9 inches. That's a big fish. Our biggest Meg tooth is just about 4.5 inches, although the world record is about 7 inches. We have a vertebra that might be a Meg, (it's hard to be sure, but at least it was a large lamnid shark), that's about 3 inches.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Getting Strapped up and garnering clicks at The Other McCain.

The Lantern Flies are Here

Two days ago we had a thunderstorm accompanied by high winds. Yesterday, when we went down to the beach in the afternoon, there were many of them washed up on the beach. Although I knew Chinese Lantern Flies had made it to Calvert County, this was the first time I had seen them. Not a great thing. Hopefully, the birds will discover their edibility, and help suppress them.

It was a gorgeous day, as days following storm systems often are, in the upper 70s with clear skies and low humidity.

We took Gabby out on our walk, and she found her first shark's tooth. In fact, she found 4 of them, three of them so small they would be hard for adult to spot. Of course, she dropped the first one she found and lost it, after insisting she would be able to keep hold of it.

Beach Report 7/20/26

The heat has subsided, and the air cleared, mostly. It was in the lower 80s, with a trace of east wind.

There was more sand than gravel on the beach, but I did manage to find this broken upper Snaggletooth. Feeding damage. You can imagine what happens to a tooth like this when it comes down on a piece of bone, or coral.

Beach Report 7/15/26

A brutally hot day, with temperatures in the 90s and all but windless. It showed 92 at Cove Point, but I suspect the beach was warmer with a SW flow. At home it hit 96 F, with a "feels like" of 111 and heat index of 119.  The Sea Nettles were thick.

Georgia and Gabby wisely went to the pool while I walked on the beach, with the help of a once frozen bottle of water.

It was not a terrible day for fossils. 17 sharks teeth, a ray chevron and a drum tooth. This one inch Snaggletooth lower was my best, but I met a man on Matoaka who had a small, maybe 1.5 inch Meg

Beach Report 7/3/26

A brutally hot summer day, without even a decent breeze to help. Temps at home were around 97 this afternoon. When I left for the beach, Cove Point was showing about 88 over the water, later climbing to 92. 

I managed the full walk up the beach past Matoaka and back with the help of one bottle of water. You can't see in these pictures, but there are a few places along Matoaka where the cliffs provide some welcome shade.

I found 14 shark's teeth of which this was the best. It's a Snaggletooth, of course, but there appears to be  some debate over position. I think it's an upper tooth close to the center, maybe next to the parasymphyseal because of the heavy serrations, others think it's a lower. Paul Murdoch was out walking a group, and I asked him, and he waffled.

The Sea Nettles are definitely here. 

There was a fly-over from a B2 bomber flanked by 2 B1 bombers. I assume they were on their way to a fly-over of the National Mall. This is the first time I've ever seen either of those planes in real life. Too bad I couldn't get my phone ready for a picture in time.

Beach Report 07/01/26

We have a "heat advisory" in effect today, with temperatures peaking at 95 F at home around 2 PM under mostly sunny skies.  However, SE winds, starting low but rising to 15 knots kept the the temperatures at the beach to a very tolerable 80.

I got started a little after low tide, but although there was ample shell and gravel to search through, I didn't find many sharks teeth.

However, one of the few I found was this 1 7/16 inch White Shark  (Carcharodon hastalis) upper, with a little wear on the root, but then, I think the warranty expired a few million years ago.. It was 1/8 inch longer than the current best on the kitchen window sill, and thus earns the place of honor.

Beach Report 6/27/26

The thunderstorm we had been expecting for the afternoon was cancelled, so we went to the beach.

It was overcast, only about 80 F, but the humidity was 90%, and the air was still, which made it feel just a bit sweaty.

Although the tide was high, there was a nice line of gravel and shell hash to look through for teeth. I was just telling a woman on the beach that I didn't have any teeth to brag about when I spotted this 1 3/8 inch lower Snaggletooth rolling in what little surf there was. It makes it look so easy. The best 24 teeth.

Scofflaw!

Right after I took this pic, a woman sitting nearby told me the Great Blue Heron had swallowed a large eel about an hour previously, and had been sitting there ever since.

A bit overcast, about 80 F, humid, and not very breezy, a classic beach day. Not a great day for fossils. The beach was mostly bare sand; I managed four very ordinary teeth, a small ray plate chevron, and a Tilly bone.

Father's Day and First Day of Summer Beach Report

A lovely day, mostly sunny, in the high 70s, a light east wind, and a low tide.

Lots of stuff to look through, but teeth seemed a little scarce, a total of 12.

I was pleasantly surprised to find this lower Snaggletooth, a little worn, but not bad considering it's a few million years old.

But the best find was this nice brown ? Probably a Sand Tiger, but an outside chance of being a lower Isurus retroflexus, the Long-fin Mako Shark.

The Wednesday Wetness - ใต้น้ำ

Which, as near as I can figure out translates to Chicken in Water from Thai. Is it a clever pun? I'd like to think so.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Obligatory World Cup Post up on time and under budget at The Other McCain.

Beach Report 6/5/26

One of those stunning spring days we occasionally have, sunny, in the mid 70s, no humidity, and just a hint of breeze.

Georgia found the winning tooth of the day, a 1 inch White Shark tooth.

This seemed odd. A small flock of Canada Geese, well past the migration season. Resident geese are a problem in Maryland, but you usually find them in grassy areas, and not out on the bay. I guess we shouldn't call them Canada Geese.

Georgia got the best tooth, but I found more, including this Tiger shark tooth.

This is from yesterday. A Great Blue Heron, in full adult colors, with the plume on its head.

Beach Report 5/20/26

90 F at home, 75 at the beach. Seems like an easy choice, right?

I can't believe this is the first report from the beach this week, but I have been a bit preoccupied. 

Crowded today.

Lot's of shark's teeth, 37, a drum tooth, three stingray dental plates, but nothing big. This small-medium Snaggletooth upper was the best of the lot

Beach Report 4/28/26

Over cast, and cool, after a light rain in the morning. Back in long pants and boot!

High tide, so I couldn't get too far, but there was a nice line of gravel and shell to look through.

The best of 10 teeth, a Snaggletooth, most likely an upper lateral, well toward the back. A bit worn but otherwise intact.