Megalodon Exibit

[Guest Cris]

There's a new traveling megalodon exibit at the museum here... I went down and say it for the first time the other day and we got some pics to share..

These were basicly talking about the sizes and ages of different sharks..

The Centra Dilemma

The amount of food the megalodon ate.. (in a day, I guess) That picture is all tuna cans stacked up on each other.. It starts off at 250+ stacks of 9 just on the bottom layer.. The second pic is showing the growth series of megalodon.

Edestus giganteus... That was one naaaaaaaaasty looking shark... If that thing wasn't meant to shear things in half like a pair of shears, I don't know what was.

[Gatorman]

It was a nice display and fairly educational, I would really recommend you go see it.

[Northern Sharks]

I would love to see that :cool:

[Harry Pristis]

Nice work, Cris! I've seen the advertizing in the newspaper for the megalodon display, but hadn't gotten up to see it. I won't need to go now.

I think these reproductions must be Cliff Jeremiah's work. Cliff is a medical practitioner in Jacksonville who started doing this as a hobby. He is a true creature of the Museum now. When amateurs were pitted against the Florida State Museum's proposed fossil law in 1984, here is what Cliff Jeremiah wrote to a Museum functionary:

".... The proposed legislation is a start in the right direction. You have my full support of this bill and I would be glad to testify on behalf of the bill."

Thanks, Cris, for the images; but, I couldn't read the "centra dilemma" text. What is the dilemma?

------Harry Pristis

[Gatorman]

Well Harry, if its not to far of a drive and you haven't been to the museum in a while I still suggest seeing it.

[Guest Cris]

Harry, the display sign says this,

"The Centra Dilemma - Shark centra (vertebral disks) reveal information about shark species, but are generally similar in shape and can be difficult to identify. However, there are variations. Note the difference in surface sculpture between the great white and tiger shark centra to the left.

A Rare Grouping - This partial backbone of fossil shark centra is a rare find. Centra are not uncommon fossils, but most are found alone. Together, these centra tell scientists more about this shark's anatomy.

1 Goliath grouper-----------2 Tiger Shark-------3 Great White Shark--------4 Extinct Salmon Shark

Epinephelus itajara-------Galeocerdo cuvier----Carcharodon carcharias----Otodes obliquus

Vertebrae------------------Vertebrae-------------Vertebrae--------------------Vertebrae

Recent--------------------- Recent----------------Recent ---------------------50 million years old

St. John's River------------Duval Co., FL--------Volusia Co., FL-------------Morocco

The little sign under the Goliath grouper vertebrae reads,

Boney Fish vs. Shark Centra - Boney fish vertebrae (left) are complex, providing support and protection to the spinal cord. Shark vertebrae (above and right) are simple in comparison.

If it's not too far, I'd suggest going to visit it, too. I left out a few exibits because of poor pictures. There's a few videos they have playing in there, some nice drawers with different teeth in them, 60 foot steel megalodon to walk through.... Certainly worth the visit.. and as a bonus, we had the whole exibit to ourselves... nobody seems to visit on the weekdays..

[Harry Pristis]

Thanks for the details, Cris.

------Harry Pristis

[worthy 55]

I went to that exibit and it was great! Nice pictures too Chris. :cool: