The Ocean is Coughing Up Giant Prehistoric Shark Teeth

You can walk along the beaches of North Carolina and pick up all sorts of things: sea glass, sea shells, jellyfish—or, more recently, the teeth of long-dead giant sharks.

Since October, beachgoers visiting anywhere from Surf City to North Topsail Beach have been stumbling upon these artifacts. According to experts, the teeth belonged to Megalodons, 60-foot beasts that went extinct about 2.6 million years ago. Their teeth remain, and thanks to recent storms and dredging, many of these ancient treasures are washing ashore. As you can see from the pictures, the teeth can get pretty hefty, with some measuring up to six inches long.

You can buy these massive chompers online, but with some costing as much as $300, it might be cheaper to fly to North Carolina to try to find one for yourself. 

Cover image: Jeff Bryant, Flickr // CC BY-NC 2.0

[h/t: WECT]