Geisler Shares Insight with Newsweek

Jonathan Geisler, Ph.D., associate professor and chairperson for the Department of Anatomy, is quoted in Newsweek regarding an ancient great white shark tooth discovered on the North Carolina shore. Geisler explains that the tooth, which belonged to a shark that was more than 20 feet long, has turned black due to the addition of minerals during fossilization, which can take at least 10,000 years. The specimen is potentially millions of years old, although its exact age is not clear.

“The dark color indicates that fossilization likely occurred in sediment with low oxygen values,” Geisler said. “The color does not indicate age, but the modern great white emerged about six to five million years ago.”

Similar coverage also appeared in more than 30 other outlets, including MSN.com, The Charlotte Observer, and Myrtle Beach Online.