A six-year-old child discovered a shark tooth from a prehistoric megalodon that could be as old as 20 million years. During a bank holiday break in Suffolk, Sammy Shelton discovered the 10cm (4in) tooth on Bawdsey beach. Prof. Ben Garrod, a shark expert, confirmed that it belonged to a megalodon, the world’s largest shark. According to his father, Peter Shelton, Sammy was sleeping with it near his bed since he was particularly devoted to it. As first reported in the Great Yarmouth Mercury, the couple, from Bradwell near Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk were looking for fossils when they discovered the massive shark’s tooth. Mr. Shelton said that Sammy was ecstatic because they had seen shark tooth bits on the beach before, but nothing that massive and heavy.

Prof. Garrod, a broadcaster and evolutionary biologist at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, was emailed photos of the discovery. It belonged to a megalodon, the world’s largest shark, according to Prof. Garrod. He went on to say that its teeth were not common throughout the UK shoreline, with only a handful being discovered each year, but this was an exceptionally good example, in excellent shape, when they were typically pretty worn when discovered. Scientists predict that the megalodon might grow up to 18m (60ft) in length and weigh up to 60 tonnes, according to him. Except for the areas of the oceans bordering Antarctica, the megalodon ruled all of the world’s seas.