Megalodon Jaw
Megalodon Jaw Weighs 131lbs
ALL 138 teeth in this jaw are authentic
More information on this Megalodon Jaw will be posted to the Information page of the site in the coming weeks.
This Megalodon Jaw project began in earnest in 2016 when I began to get close to having enough megalodon teeth to complete a single row megalodon dentition. Over the next several years I made the decision that I wanted to extend the project timeline in order to include 3 full rows of teeth and build the jaw without compromise. The decision to use only authentic teeth with no restoration and to not compromise on the dentition meant the project would take years longer than originally anticipated, but in my opinion the end result was well worth it.
Motivation: For me ever since I found my first megalodon tooth it was difficult not to imagine the total size and power of the complete shark. As I began diving more for megalodon teeth, I began to acquire more and the thought or dream of one day being able to have enough teeth to create a megalodon dentition began. Over the last 100 years scientists, researchers, and tooth collectors have built a variety of megalodon jaws. By taking inspiration from those that built them in the past, I began contemplating what it would take.
Research: A significan amount of time was spent researching megalodon dentitions to make sure the megalodon teeth selected were the correct size and shape for their placement in the megalodon jaw. I spent time studying other megalodon jaws in museums and private collections along with spending time examining great white jaws. I also spent significant time consulting with top megalodon and shark experts and that research went into the details of the dentition and overall megalodon jaw. In the end I tried to use as perfect of a dentition as possible and display it in the jaw in such a way that struck a balance between science and aesthetics.
Tooth Hunting: Before, during, and after the research phase came collecting the megalodon teeth. This proved to be a significant challenge due to the diving conditions these teeth were found in and the fact that many megalodon teeth are found broken. The biggest challenge however is that each of the 138 teeth in this jaw needed to be a specific size and shape. Like teeth found in other animals and even people megalodons have specific shapes to each tooth in the corresponding location in the jaw. That coupled with the fact that a megalodon tooth in the U1 position for instance can range from 1-6" and only one that was exactly 5.2" would fit in this dentition made it so only a small fraction of the teeth I personally collected diving would work in this megalodon jaw. Hundreds of hours were spent under water in order to obtain the teeth required for this jaw and thousands of hours were spent between driving the boat, watching the sonar, and decompressing between dives.
Building: Years after beginning the collecting and researching process, I finally had enough teeth of the correct size to begin building this megalodon jaw. The process took several hundred hours and spanned four years. The base or frame of the jaw required significant shaping and texturing along with detail refinement to get the desired look. The most delicate and stressful portion of the build was placing each tooth individually in a way that was secure, correctly aligned, and aesthetically pleasing. At a later date I will expand more on the process, but it required me to develop new skill sets and a significant amount of practice, failure, and starting over.
No Compromises: During this processes the temptation to compromise in order to speed up the build was always there. Doing minor things like using a tooth that did not fit the dentition well, but likely would not be noticed would have sped up the timeline significantly. Also cutting corners by using molded teeth for the back row, or using teeth that had been restored would have cut this project timeline by years. Now that the megalodon jaw has been completed I can say that I am happy I did not compromise despite it taking years longer to finish. At the end of the build when all was said and done and I stood back and looked at it, in my mind there was nothing that I wished I had done better. This type of project may be the only one that I complete and I am glad if that is the case that no corners were cut, and no compromises were made.
What Next?: Currently the Dark Water Megs Megalodon Jaw is temporarily in a private collection, it will remain there for the next few months. After that I am looking at options, I currently have a private collector interested; however, a big part of me wants to keep the jaw for myself, but another part of me would like it to go to a place where it could be enjoyed by many people. Time will tell on that, these teeth have been around for millions of years and I have been working on this megalodon jaw for the last several years, so I will take some time deciding on where it goes next.
Thank you for your interest in this Megaldon Jaw and my website in general. If you are interested in a single megalodon tooth you can purchase one here. If you have specific questions regarding this megalodon jaw I will be adding another article in the coming weeks or you can contact me.
I will provide additional information and updates on this Dark Water Megs Megalodon Jaw in the future. They will be able to be viewed on this website as well as some of the DarkWaterMegs social media platforms.