Monster Oyster Contains Monster Surprise

Many foods get better with age, but oysters generally aren't on that list. However, in this instance age has its advantages. A fisherman was in for quite a surprise after trawling up a 145 million-year-old oyster fossil, nearly 10 times the size of a normal oyster, reported the Daily Mail.

Experts suspect that the aged crustacean could contain one of the largest pearls in the world after using medical MRI scanning technology to analyze the fossil's contents. Inside, they found a round object roughly the size of a golf ball, but they aren't sure whether it's a pearl or not, according to the Daily Mail.

Experts are hesitant to crack open the fossil for the potential prize inside because it would destroy the fossilized oyster, which some believe is valuable in its own right, according to the Daily Mail.

The fisherman originally thought that the fossil was simply a gargantuan oyster, but upon closer examination quickly realized that he had something much more unique. He handed the fossil over to the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth, England, to keep it safe and secure.

After the discovery of the 7-inch fossil at Cheltenham, a company called Cobalt, which provides scanning services, volunteered to scan the oyster to see what may be inside, reported the Daily Mail. The MRI revealed a potential pearl, but for now it remains a mystery until the day the fossil is cracked open; if that day ever comes.

Sean Flynn is a Junior Writer for The Daily Meal. Follow him on Twitter @BuffaloFlynn