P is for Paleontology

While LEGO has never produced a paleontology theme, they have produced paleontologist Minifigures. The subject of my photos today is from Minifigures Series 13. She came with the trilobite fossil you see in the picture, as well as a bone. The other paleontologist came in the LEGO Ideas Research Institute set, which featured all female scientists. So, both paleontologist Minifigures were women!

Working as a paleontologist was a childhood dream of mine, especially around the time that Jurassic Park came out. I naturally believed that fossilized mosquitoes could bring dinosaurs back to life. Nowadays, I just enjoy fossils in museums. I really like visiting dinosaur exhibits. It comes back to my love of ancient things. While it is not from a dinosaur, I do have a fossil Megalodon tooth. It is crazy to think that it came from an animal that lived millions of years ago. Can you imagine what that tooth has been through? Existing in the mouth of a super-predator? What did that animal see in its lifetime? The Megalodon was the largest shark to ever roam the planet (at least the largest that we know of). It was three times longer, and 20 times heavier than a modern Great White (it was about 20 m long, and had a mass of 54,431 kg). While some cryptozoologists maintain that it might still be alive, most scientists maintain that it went extinct 2.6 million years ago. Its mouth was probably seven feet wide (judging from the average size of fossil teeth found), and it most likely fed on full grown whales. My particular fossil tooth is a small one. In reality, Megalodon probably had over 250 teeth spread out in five rows, and each tooth could reach up to almost 20 cm from root to tip! It also had an estimated bite strength greater than a T. rex.

This post was written as part of the April A-to-Z blogging challenge. You can read more about the challenge by visiting the official website. Be sure to check back tomorrow for my LEGO themed letter “Q” post.

Until next time,

-T.N.B.