by 
Kyra Copp, STEMSEAS Student
While aboard the E/V Nautilus, myself and the rest of the STEMSEAS students participated in a presentation/activity that centered around estimating the size of the extinct Megalodon shark using measurements from their shed teeth found in the fossil record.
Using 3D printed models of the teeth found in a replicated Megalodon jaw located in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, we were given a set of formulas that were used to estimate the size of the shark based on the height of the teeth. After doing all the math, the results were interesting to say the least: the measurements we all did of the largest teeth in the jaw estimated the shark to be around 4-5 feet, while the smallest teeth in the jaw had estimates ranging from 10-13 feet. It wasn’t until the end of the exercise that we learned the math was flawed. The exercise had the added lesson of scientific calculations are not always accurate and peer review and testing can help bring inaccuracies to light.
Afterwards, we took all the teeth we had and attached them to a felt cloth to recreate a jaw of the Megalodon at sea.
It was really fun to incorporate paleontology into our time here at sea, and it was enjoyable to sit inside the ring of teeth for the photos.
