PREHISTORIC SHARK FOSSILS EarthCache
PREHISTORIC SHARK FOSSILS
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Collecting prehistoric sharks teeth has been a favorite pastime of visitors and residents of the Venice , Florida area for years. They may be black , brown , or gray , depending on the minerals in the soil in which they have been buried. They range in size from one eighth inch to three inches , and on rare occasions more.
Sharks of all species continually shed their teeth and grown new ones. They have 40 or more teeth in each jaw. Behind the functional rows or teeth are seven other rows of teeth developing into mature dentures to replace teeth as they are shed or lost. In ten years , an average tiger shark can produce as many as 24,000 teeth.
Besides sharks teeth , fossils of other marine creatures are also found in this area. Because millions of years ago most of Florida was under water , many fossils are found inland as well as on the beaches.Water and storms action eventually sweeps the sand away , exposing the teeth. Some are washed up on shore with the changing tides and waves. The Venice, Florida beaches are not on a barrier island , they are on the mainland. Generally , the sand here is rather dark because it has a lot of fossilized material in it.
Scientists believe that when south Floria was still underwater , many years ago , the waves in Venice area were calmer then in other areas. The calm waters kept the teeth from the decomposed sharks carcasses at the ocean floor in place instead of sweeping them out further to be scattered. After the water receded from Florida , as the sea and storms eroded the coastline near venice beach, the buried teeth were exposed more and more , washing them up onshore and making Venice Beach the recognized shark tooth hot spot that it is today.
Take a walk on any of Venice's beaches and you will no doubt see people digging in the sand with long - handled steel sieves , hoping with each basketful to discover a prize fossil.Sharks teeth are exposed by every major storm , earning the town the right to bill themselves as the "SHARK TOOTH CAPITOL OF THE WORLD". Venice is located on Florida's Gulf coast, midway between Sarasota and Fort Myers.
To log this cache please email to me the answer to the following questions:
1.Why is the sand in Venice,Florida rather dark in color then some other beaches in Florida?
2. Average Tiger shark can produce as many as _______
teeth in about ten years?
3. In your own words "WHY" would this location have sharks fossils more then some other Florida beaches?
4. While you are on the beach look for some fossils
tell me what you have found , type and size of the
shark teeth and any other fossil.
I have been going to this beach for years and we get to bring home hands full of shark teeth, along with other fossils. Have a great day looking for shark teeth and at the end of the day a wonderful place to watch the sun set and to have a cool one is on the pier.
5.Please post a picture , if you like of you or your group.
HAPPY GEOCACHING IN VENICE !!!
PARKING , FOOD, DRINKS AND SUNSET IS NEAR THE EARTHCACHE SITE.
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