Megalodon Shark - The Meg

The Megalodon Shark, also commonly known as Chacharodon Megalodon, the Meg or simply Meg was such a massive creature that it would shame even the greatest of modern ocean predators. If the fear that a Great White Shark suddenly arises underneath you is enough to dissuade you from taking a cool afternoon dip in the sea, you are probably happy not to have to worry that a Megalodon silently approches under your boat. This colossal beast could probably swallow small crafts whole and put huge dents in larger ones, and this is no exageration! The Megalodon Shark was not one to mess with and although it is now undoubtebly extinct, its memory deserves to be respected and honored.

How was the Megalodon discovered ?

Like all sharks found in oceans around the world today, megalodon sharks were mostly made of cartilage. So despite their immense size, the majority of their bodies did not fossilize; the cartilage disintegrates too quickly for the fossilization process to occur. As a result, there are many unanswered questions surrounding the Megalodon Shark. Luckily enough, scientists were able to get their hands on Megalodon tooth and these could be investigated. As a result, paleontologists have been able to uncover many facts about these extraordinary creatures and while many points are still subject to debate, some things are known with certainty.

Megalodon facts

About 70 million to 10 million years ago, the wonder known as the Megalodon Shark swam freely around the world in oceans warm waters. Based on what researchers discovered, the Megalodon had a lot of physical and behavioral similarity to those of the Great White Shark; however the Megalodon was substantially more intimidating and threatening. Great White Sharks average 15 to 20 feet in lenght (4 to 6 meters). Despite these impressive lengths, this is nothing compared to the Megalodon Shark. As of today, the exact length of these prehistoric sharks remains a matter of debate, we do know however that they reached between 40 and 70 feet (12 to 21 meters) long! This is approximately three times the size of the Great White Shark. The Megalodon is also known as the "megatoothed" shark and is the largest carnivorous fish ever to exist on the face of the Earth. Scientists studied Megalodon teeth found in the four corners of the world: Africa, North America, South America, India, Australia, Japan and Europe. If one relies on where the teeth were exhumed, this shark would have thrived in the warm waters of the globe. As mentioned earlier, scientists are still trying to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding this prehistoric fish, including its diet. Since the Great White Shark is a direct descendant of the Megalodon Shark, many believe that the Great White diet reflects that of the Megalodon. However, based on the serration marks found on the megateeth of the old shark, it is believed that the Megalodon also fed on whales.

What killed the Megalodon ?

There is no doubt that the Megalodon Shark has long disappeared from the face of the earth. Unfortunately, due to the fact that there is still much to learn about this amazing creature, the exact reason for its disappearance remains a mystery. There are, however, several theories to explain the extinction of this huge beast. Two of the main speculations coincide with the belief that these sharks swam in warm waters. At the time the Megalodon Shark still roamed the ocean, the temperature of the water could have suddenly dropped. It is a safe bet that the gradual and continuous decline in ocean temperature is what killed the Megalodon. Another plausible belief is that the mega shark's prey started to migrate to colder areas. These low temperatures were far too cold for the Megalodon to survive.

Is the Megalodon Shark still extant today ?

Surprisingly, many Megalodon lovers believe that the huge shark is still extant today and lives in the deep and dark corners of the ocean. Even if a vast portion of the ocean depth remains to be explored and that many new species of fish and sea creatures are discovered every year, there is yet no definitive proof that the Megalodon Shark could still be alive. Sharks are well known for losing hundreds of teeths on a regular basis and if Megalodons were still alive some of them would probably washed ashore. But it isn’t the case ; all megatooths found so far were very ancient. Until someone stumbles upon a fresh tooth or a Megalodon crawls under a sailboat, all agree that the Megalodon Shark is indeed extinguished.