A resident from Maribojoc, Bohol found a fossil tooth of ancient shark Megalodon

Last Tuesday, June 30, the National Museum Bohol announced that a fossil tooth of a Megalodon, a giant ancient shark that lived around 20 million years ago, was found in Maribojoc, Bohol. The tooth was discovered by a local named Christian Gio Bangalao in Brgy. Jandig, an inland barangay, and was donated to the museum in May.

In fact, this is the second specimen discovered in the said municipality. The first megalodon tooth was discovered by another local named Venjo Busalla. He found it on the grounds of the municipal plaza of Maribojoc on March 1, 2018.

This piece, together with other Megalodon specimens from Cagayan and Pangasinan, is currently on display in the National Museum of Natural History in Manila.

Also known as Otodus megalodon, the Megalodon is considered to be the largest shark that ever lived in the world’s oceans but is now extinct. Scientists believe the megalodon is a close relative of the great white sharks, which are also found in the Philippines.

According to the museum, only the teeth of the predatory shark are found in the Philippines. There is no complete fossil set found of the megalodon because their bones are mostly made of cartilage. Most fossil findings are their teeth, which are rich in calcium.