A megalodon tooth from a Carcharodon megalodon which is part of the Natural History Society of Maryland’s fossil collection. This species lived during the Miocene Period and dates from approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago. The prominent diagnostic characteristic of this tooth is the absence of cusps flanking the tooth relative to earlier species. Courtesy of the Natural History Society of Maryland which has given permission for the model to be downloadable for non-commercial educational purposes.