First in situ documentation of a fossil tooth of the megatooth shark Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon from the deep sea in the Pacific Ocean

Figures & data

Figure 1. Screenshot from the documentation video of the (ROV) Hercules at a depth of 3090 m on an unnamed seamount located ~350 km southeast of Johnston Atoll (dive H1926, 14.11332°N, 167.39357°W, 23 June 2022) showing the site with the Otodus megalodon tooth.

Figure 2. Otodus megalodon tooth NA141-006-01-MT. A, labial view; B, profile view; C, lingual view; D, basal view. Scale bar 2 cm.

Figure 3. Close up images of Otodus megalodon tooth NA141-006-01-MT. A, tooth enamel; B, broken apex with cavity; C, view of the basal manganese crust; D, lateral serration.

Figure 4. Fossil occurrences of Otodus megalodon and Pacific records of cetacean ear bones. Blue dots: O. megalodon records from Pimiento et al. (2016); yellow stars: records from Eastman (1903, 1906), Belyaev and Glikman (1970), and Séret (1987); red star: this study; brown whale symbol: cetacean ear bones from Eastman (1906); green whale symbols: common fossil findings of cetacean ear bones and O. megalodon from Eastman (1906).

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