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| Paleo Discoveries E-Newsletter |
Winter 2008
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 Welcome friends of fossils (or fossil friends!) to our first newsletter. For those of you who know us, thanks for checking out the latest news from Paleo Discoveries. Each quarter we'll give you info on fossil-hunting, latest finds from our tours, highlight a "fossil of the month" and show lots of pics for you to enjoy.
If you don't know us, we offer guided fossil-hunting tours in central Florida (generally on the Peace River) and educational programs aimed at schools, nature centers, libraries and other organizations. Click on our website, www.paleodiscoveries.com to see all our products and services.
This month, we'll be spotlighting many people's favorite fossil, the Megalodon shark- specifically, the large serrated teeth which are often found here in Fla.
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News-
The Peace River Times
The word on the street (or in this case, water) is low. Low water levels, that is. After dumping LOTS of the wet stuff on us this summer, tropical storm Faye finally went away, the river went way up and is of now (Dec. 1st) very low and at levels usually only seen in the spring.
This is good news for fossil-hunting. The high water washes out new fossils from the banks and bottom of the river as well as moving sand bars from place to place. This exposes areas previously too deeply buried in sand to be accessible. In a word, it refreshes the river. Get out when you can, the weather usually stays nice and dry through the winter and spring seasons here in south Fla.
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Fossil of the Month-
The Megalodon Shark
Megalodon Shark Tooth
Many people who come out on our tours come with a specific plan- to find a fossilized tooth from one of earth's greatest super-predators of all-time, the Megalodon shark.
Maybe it's because the shark's reputation preceeds it, maybe it's the jewelery aspect to the teeth, maybe it's because people are eternally fascinated by sharks because of the fear/admiration factor. Whatever it is, the drive to find a big one can become an obsession.
Some background- the Megalodon lived in warm waters globally from approx. 15 million years ago up until about 2 million years ago. It was very successful as the top oceanic predator during that time.
It's size has been estimated based on the size of it's teeth to possibly top out at 60 feet and a whopping 100,000 lbs! The thought of an animal bigger than a greyhound bus with 6-7 inch teeth is pretty frightening. If the thought scares you, imagine what the whales which shared the ocean with it must have felt. Whales were the Megalodon's main food source and the evidence is pretty conclusive. Whale bones scarred by Megalodon teeth, tips of Megalodon teeth broken off in fossilized whale bone, and the fact that Megalodon teeth are most common near where whale bone is most abundant all point to the same conclusion; whales were the target, at least to adult sharks. Juvenile megs seemed to lead a more inshore life feeding on smaller marine mammals such as seals, dolphins, and dugongs and likely fish as well.
While fossil Megalodon teeth are common, bones are not. Only rarely are anything but the occasional backbone, or vertebra found as fossils. Shark skeletons are made of cartilage which quickly degrades and rots after the shark dies.
While Megalodon is now extinct, the fascination with them lives on. The teeth are still out there, waiting to be found. Wanna go fossilin'?
See more shark teeth and fossils here: SHARKS
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Fossil-gear for sale!
Or- pssst!,hey buddy,wanna buy a sifting screen?
If you haven't been to our new and improved store-gift shop yet, take a look. We have new things for sale and will be adding a lot more soon.
Our best-seller, the famous Fossil Gravel is available in 1,2 or 3 jar packs as well as a sample bag. Makes a great Christmas stocking stuffer!
Our new items for sale are the sifting screens used on our tours and birthday party packages that include all you need for a real fossil-dig birthday party in your home!
Looking for something different and fun for the gift-giving season? Buy a Gift Certificate from us that can go towards whatever you like- a tour, educational program, birthday party or anything from our store.
All items in our store are also available in person if you go out on one of our tours. Save yourself the shipping!
Gift-Certificates
Paleo-Store
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About us-
Paleo Discoveries is committed to total customer satisfaction whether you're on a fossil-hunting tour, hosting an educational program for your school or group or buying products from our store.
You don't have to take our word for it, however, click on this link to see what other people have had to say about what we do.
If you would like a reference, just ask us! Paleo-Testimonials
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Deal Of The Season-
4 for 3
Mention you saw it in this newsletter and get a deal- come out for a tour with us with three people, and a fourth goes free! Save $75! It's a steal!
Contact Us
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