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The megalodons were absolutely massive sharks, but how big are they? We’ve put together 13 of the most incredible Megalodon facts. Don’t worry, you can return to the water as this view long ago extinct. Let’s dive into our top facts about megalodons!
1. Megalodons are possibly the largest shark / fish ever.
Despite the fact that we only have their teeth, it is believed that the megalodons were huge. Experts say the megalodons are perhaps the largest sharks and fish ever to roam the oceans! While basilosaurs (ancient whales) and pliosaurs (ancient marine reptiles) were thought to be just as large, megalodons tend to take the lead when it comes to the ocean’s largest predator.
Megalodons were also top predators or top predators in their day, which meant they were at the top of the food chain. Perhaps this was due to their sheer size. What else could compete? While other large whales and sharks may have been their rivals, nothing beats the top spot among megalodons.
2. Megalodons were 20 to 50 times the size of today’s largest whites!
How big were the megalodons? Well this is a subject serious discussions in the scientific community.
A 1996 paper suggested that the megalodon should have a maximum length of 67 feet. This document sets a “conservative” maximum body weight of 105,733 pounds and a maximum body size of 227,510 pounds. Later research suggests that the maximum size of the megalodon was 50 to 52 feet in length.
However, conservative estimates suggest that the megalodon will be more than 20 times the size of the largest white shark on record. By broader estimates, this is more than 50 times the number of whites among the largest and greatest whites today!
3. Megalodons may have had the strongest bite of all time
Due to their enormous size, Megalodons had huge teeth. We can see this by looking at images of their fossilized teeth. Experts have since concluded that these ancient sharks may have had the strongest bite of all time. This includes land animals!
The megalodon had a mouth nearly 10 feet wide. Megalodon’s teeth are similar in shape to those of modern white sharks, although the megalodon’s teeth are larger in size. many more. A megalodon’s tooth is on average about three times larger than that of a modern white shark!
4.) No, seriously, Megalodon’s bite force is 5 times that of Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Thanks to advances in computer modeling, we have a better understanding of the powerful megalodon bite than ever before in history. A recent three-dimensional computer analysis showed the megalodon bite force to be 182,201 Newtons. This bite force Five times bite force that scientists believe in Tyrannosaurus Rex was capable.
For a greater perspective, this bite force would be almost exactly The bite force is 10 times greater than that of the largest living whites!
5. Megalodons had a nursery for their babies
As for the megalodon babies, there are many interesting facts to dig in. At first, it was believed that megalodons gave birth closer to the coast in order to protect their young from potential predators. Thus, the megalodons created a nursery for their babies.
After birth, these cubs of megalodons remained nearby while their mother looked after them. It also gave kids the opportunity to learn how to hunt smaller fish, eventually making their way to catch and eat larger creatures. When children grow up and get larger – and become more able to dodge or defend against predators – they leave these nurseries.
6. Megalodon babies could eat their siblings before birth.
Megalodon babies are born huge… On average, these babies were thought to be about 6.6 feet tall at birth. Experts concluded that due to their sheer size, megalodon babies may have eaten their siblings while still in the womb.
After they ate their siblings, the remaining babies had enough room to grow while they were still in their mother. Then, when they are finally born, they will already be 6 feet tall and large predators. While this does mean that the Megalodon babies may have been cannibals, this fact also helps explain accurately. Why these babies were so big at birth.
7. Females of megalodons were twice as large as males.
The megalodons were massive sharks, and the females tended to be of the larger sex. On average, it is assumed that female megalodons can be twice as large as the average male megalodon. Females tended to be larger in both weight and length. Consequently, the largest megalodons may have been over 143,000 pounds (with some maximum estimates reaching 227,510 pounds)!
8. Megalodons and dinosaurs have never coexisted together.
While both were thought to be ancient creatures that ruled Earth long before humans, megalodons and dinosaurs never actually coexisted together. Dinosaurs became extinct about 66 million years ago. Meanwhile, it was believed that megalodons only existed 23 million years ago.
Both megalodons and dinosaurs were massive creatures that were the top predators in their territories. Although they are both now extinct, they were separated by many millions of years, and even thinking about it is crazy!
9. Megalodon teeth fossils have been found on all continents except Antarctica.
The only Megalodon fossils we have are teeth. However, we have been able to learn a lot from these teeth. One of the main components of megalodon life that experts were able to extract from the fossils of these teeth? How and where did the megalodons live?
Fossilized teeth of megalodons have been found on all continents except Antarctica. Given that megalodons do not swim in cold waters, this is hardly surprising! However, it is interesting to see how megalodons have been able to thrive in different areas around the world.
10. Megalodons may have become extinct due to cold climate change.
After living for 20 million years, the megalodons began to slowly die out and eventually turned into extinct creatures. Most experts believe this is due to the fact that the Earth experienced climate change when the weather got much colder and this made water around the world colder.
Megalodons lived only in warmer water, so this colder water probably affected their living conditions. This climate change could also lead to the extinction of other fish in the sea, which then affected the megalodons and their food source. These huge creatures eventually died out when there was almost nothing to eat and nowhere to go.
While megalodons are currently extinct, some of the sharks in existence today may have originated from the same family tree or may have descended from megalodons. For example, experts believe that modern white sharks and mega-toothed sharks may be related in some way!
11. Another reason the megalodons could have disappeared was a supernova!
In 2018 the magazine Astrobiology suggested that megalodons died out from the most unexpected source: a supernova 150 light years from Earth!
Astrobiology presented data that this supernova killed 1/3 of the world’s largest marine mammals. Why did they suffer so disproportionately? In short, the supernova’s radioactivity led to a significantly higher cancer risk in larger animals. If the animals had not become much larger than the megaolodon, this species would have become extinct from cancer, as the effects of supernova radiation cascaded across the Earth.
12. Megalodon’s greatest rival was the giant sperm whale!
Although the Megalodon was the largest shark in history, it may have had a fierce rival in the oceans! Ancient sperm whale known as Livyatan lives simultaneously with megalodon. Although the teeth of the megalodon were massive, Livyatana the teeth were incomparable. Livyatan teeth were longer than food!
Livyatan and megalodon lived in the same region and were both top predators, so it is likely that these two ferocious prehistoric creatures clashed in competition for prey. This will definitely be one of the most brutal battles between two animals ever to live on Earth!
13. Experts don’t believe megalodons exist today.
80% of the ocean has never been mapped or discovered. As a result, many people believe that there are countless types of beings that we have never seen. Many have also speculated that megalodons may still exist in these undiscovered locations.
While interesting, experts don’t believe megalodons exist today. They believe that an animal of such a huge size can never go unnoticed for long. Plus, megalodons only lived in warm water, and many of the deepest uncharted corners of the ocean have colder temperatures!
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