What is rare?
Geplaatst: 27 aug 2009, 09:16
Do you know how rare South African Fossil Shark Teeth are or other Fossils found on the Beaches in Cape Town for that matter?
I followed the discussion about Chili Fossil Shark Teeth they beautiful in Color and preservation, everybody seems to have a few in their collection but they not rare.
If I look at the variety and amount of Teeth from different Shark species found in the US and Europe makes me wonder why I find mainly GW, Mako and a few bits and pieces of Megalodon in South Africa.
Sure I found about 5 I.taurus and a about 5 transitional Teeth in two and a half Years.
Maybe it’s because you not allowed to dig on the Beach, actually you not even allowed to keep what you find because the law states that all fossil belong to the Government.
When I started collecting about two and a half Years ago I tried to find some information on Fossil Shark Teeth on South African websites and found none, except one article where a few years back an American student found a Megalodon Tooth on the coast in northern Natal and the “Experts” where not sure if it was a megalodon because none was ever found in South Africa an till that date.
I didn’t find any literature about Fossil Shark Teeth in South Africa to find out where they come from, then I found an article on the web about commercial phosphate Mines in SA and there was the hint about a phosphate Reef that runs along the Cape Town Coast towards Namibia but it’s to low grade to be exploited.
So I believe the Teeth and other Fossils I find on the Beach come out of that phosphate reef and are washed on to the Beach by the currant.
The big Importance on Fossils in SA is Human ancestors and mammals, like near where I live is the "Langebaan Fossil Park" what used to be a Phosphate Mine and belongs since many years now to the Iziko Museum in Cape Town where they find a wide variety of mammal Fossils.
Pipa Haarhoff is the Manager there and here speciality is Birds and I bring here sometimes so Bird Bones I find on the Beach,
hey Auspex have you heared "Bird Bones" .
I was there several times and they have an artificial color painted Meg Tooth to show to Visitors, would you believe it.
So Fossil Shark Teeth take a back seat but I try to put a Collection together despite the possibility that one Day they might come to take it away.
When I go out every Weekend by Wind and Weather there are many “Collectors” on the Beach most of them are homeless, looking every Day for Teeth not even knowing the species of shark they belonged to, they than sell the teeth to Tourist Shops for a few Rand to make a living and the Teeth end up as Pendant most properly with a hole drilled through.
I sometimes buy a few Teeth on the Beach but prefer to collect myself.
This Year was very slow so far and even the ones they are every Day on the Beach are complaining that they mostly find small ones and the bigger ones are damaged.
All I wanted to say is that it is not easy to find good Teeth on the Beach because most of them are damaged or rolled up and there for the good ones and especially the big ones are the exceptions , expensive and very rare.
Some of you have already bought from me and will agree they make a nice addition to any collection.
And here a few Pic's, enjoy.
Regards from Cape Town
Werner