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Hello everyone ! what does the root of this megalodon tooth look like? 
it seems genuine to me but I would like other opinions thanks

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I don't think the root is real, but I don't know a lot about magalodon teeth

Edited by fossilhunter21
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The root does look odd and I can see why you are asking for advice on this one. The preservation appears to be from a land site (not one found in the river or ocean) which is where most of the teeth in the US tend to be found. In the close-up views the root does seem to have appropriately porous texture and may simply be the real root with some of the original surface texture eroded away. It's not uncommon for the softer root material to be lost on a tooth where the harder enamel is still quite well preserved.

 

The megs in my collection are all self-found and so I never need to question their authenticity. We have several members who are much more knowledgeable about commercially available megs that may or may not have been "fixed-up" for sale. I'm sure they will soon chime in. ;)

 

Has the seller listed the location of where this tooth comes from? That information may help in judging if this type of preservation is common in that area.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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Location: Southeastern Asia.

Unfortunately I don't know anything else


 
image.png.7bd89fd4b80b55256e07b54e7d639bff.png
 
 
 
 
 
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If this an Indonesian tooth, which are flooding the market, root reconstruction is common.  You can try using acetone with a cotton swab and see if anything comes off.

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I used water and toothpicks.
actually wetting the surface comes off.
I contacted the seller and he told me: 
that the root of the tooth is original and nothing has been done to him except a fixation. 
Therefore the sand which is above the original root has been fixed, and it has been found exactly like this.

 

is it possible that he is telling the truth?
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1 hour ago, joeride95 said:


I used water and toothpicks.
actually wetting the surface comes off.
I contacted the seller and he told me: 
that the root of the tooth is original and nothing has been done to him except a fixation. 
Therefore the sand which is above the original root has been fixed, and it has been found exactly like this.

 



is it possible that he is telling the truth?

These Indonesian meg blades (that is what the seller has here) are always fantastic and the roots on average are just not well preserved. You see them being extracted from the ground and it looks like a battle to determine if the root still exists and where it begins and the sand/matrix end. So what you will see is (most of the time) is some rough guesswork, carved matrix to resemble a root, or matrix mixed and re-applied to the tooth to stabilize and reconstitute a crumbling root that is not well preserved.   There are sellers online that have these teeth with roots fully intact but they fetch much higher prices.

 

That is not to mention the Frankenstein concoctions available now online of ridiculous proportions and size.

 

This is not an A+ grade Indonesian tooth (the blades are almost always impressive) but it looks like a good example from the area, and if there is matrix added or carved I don't see any of that on the 'back' of the tooth (non display side) but perhaps some liberties were taken on the front side. Looks like a nice example to me. As @digit was saying, these roots are softer and sometimes the detail can be lost easily.

 

Cheers,

Brett 

 

A few images of the Indonesian teeth in matrix, sans roots or with roots eroded almost completely away. 

Stunning-46-Megalodon-Shark-Tooth-In-Original-Matrix.jpg.61c11663a32b5ee5222881956adee909.jpg1165431677_767--415-Indonesian-Megalodon-Shark-Tooth-in.jpg.4d37ec72b6a1b2da714976ae593b697f.jpg

 

Not a great video but here is a video of the conditions these teeth are found in .. 

 

 

Edited by Brett Breakin' Rocks
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