The most amazing facts about Megalodon to shock you

If you’ve ever seen a shark closely and felt like running away the next moment, you have no idea what it might have been like to watch a Megalodon approach you. Megalodon sharks were the giant sharks ever and the biggest fish on record. Sources suggest that they went extinct millions of years ago, so it’s a pity we won’t be able to witness them for real anymore. But there are some mind-blowing facts about these creatures that will make you run for your life. If you are ready to get going, so are we!

Appearance

Carcharocles Megalodon was known for its sharp teeth. The meaning of the term ‘Carcharocles Megalodon’ itself means giant teeth. We should believe that the Megalodons had three times larger teeth for a good reason than that of a white shark sprawling in the waters. Most scientists argue that they have been distant relatives of each other. But research continues to prove that.

They were generally heavy and torpedo-shaped fishes with a conical snout. They also featured dorsal fins and massive pectorals. A strong-crescent-shaped tail made them look more haunting than ever. Recent research goes on to say that these creatures were 10.5meters in length which means around 33.5 feet.

Some of them even went on to be as colossal as 17.9 meters, typically 58.7 feet long. But that is not all. Some scientists argue that the largest of them were as tall as 25 meters (82 feet.) They were also cold-blooded animals like most fishes and were humongous predators underwater.

Feeding Habits

In the contemporary age, anacondas, sharks, and whales are the top predators in the food chain. But in the primitive days, Megalodons were the ultimate animals. It even fed on whales and dolphins at a specific period. However, whether they ate sharks or not is still to be determined.

Like the modern-day sharks, even these Megalodons had a ferocious bite. Researchers believe that they had a haunting bite force that was anything between 108,514 and 182,201 Newtons. This is double or even more than that of humans.

One of the researchers even said that Megalodons co-evolved with whales as massive predators. Together they would prey on the fishes and other creatures underwater. They may have also first attacked the flippers and tails of diverse mammals to prevent them from swimming further and gradually consume them. No wonder their 10 feet wide mouth did not spare any creature underwater.

Megalodons had a massive feast that featured many animals for them, mainly toothed whales, baleen whales, sperm whales, dolphins, and sirenians. Seals were also a part of their daily menu. Naturally, the young megalodons preyed on smaller animals while the adults on the bigger ones.

Reproductory conduct

Although we do not know much about the Megalodon courtship, a few researchers suggest that it had nurseries for its young. The shallow warm-water nurseries provided a better means for young ones to prey and feed themselves. When they matured, it is believed that they would make forays into deeper water to help prey on larger animals.

Again, we do not have much insight into how the individuals dispersed when they grew big. We also do not know much about whether these creatures were ovoviviparous or viviparous. However, some estimates suggest that the young may have been 2 meters or 6.6.feet long.

Extinction

Since most people have never seen a megalodon, it is possible that they went extinct before the evolution of humans. But to pinpoint an exact date of their extinction would be extremely daunting with minimal records of the same.

In 2014, a research group at the University Of Zurich studied Megalodon fossils to understand them better. They used a method called optimal linear estimation to do the same. Their research found out that most fossils were from the middle Miocene epoch to the Pliocene period. So, their existence had completely ended around a 2.6million years ago. But our ancestors emerged only 2.5 million years ago during the Pliocene epoch.

Since no one has been able to discover anything about megalodons so far, not even the fossils of the young ones, it is possible to believe that they went extinct long ago. But a minimal number of simulations proved that they could still be alive today. Well, that is impossible, but still. As chances are pretty slim, researchers do not even argue on it.

The Bottom Line

The Megalodons were fascinating shark species. Many researchers even believe that they consumed around 2,500 pounds of food per day. But that is not all. The giant Megalodon tooth was as long as 6.9 inches.

Most people also wonder if they ever met dinosaurs. No, sources suggest that they never coexisted, although they both went extinct ages ago. Well, dinosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago, and these creatures came long after that. So, you do the math!