No, megalodon no longer exists. It was an extinct shark species that lived about 28 to 1.5 million years ago. Scientists believe it became extinct around 2.6 million years ago. The Megalodon was one of the biggest predators in history. It reached 60 feet and weighed over 50 tons.
There is no evidence megalodon exists today. But there are anecdotal reports. We’ll examine if it could still be out there. Megalodons went extinct around 2.6 million years ago. The exact cause is unknown. Climate change likely contributed.
It was the largest carnivorous fish ever. Research has not found evidence it still exists. Megalodons lived about 3 to 23 million years ago. At their largest, around 67 feet, they potentially fed on whales.
Megalodon translates to “large tooth.” It grew 15-18 meters, three times longer than the largest great white shark. Megalodon was bigger than whale sharks.
Some facts: It grew to 15-18 meters long. Megalodon fossils show it lived 20 million years ago. It ruled the oceans for 13 million years. Simulations give a 1% chance it still lives. Its habitat and food source are gone now. Modern apex predators occupy its niche. It is definitely extinct.
What is bigger than the megalodon?
The blue whale dwarfs the megalodon. Blue whales reach 110 feet. They weigh 200 tons.
The megalodon had a robust body. Its huge jaws devoured whales. A mosasaurus could not bite a megalodon. The megalodon would end that battle fast.
The bloop is 77 to 215 meters long. Its teeth are nearly a human arm long.
No shark is bigger than the megalodon. The megalodon was one of the largest fish ever. It grew 15 to 18 meters long. That is three times longer than the largest great white shark.
Blue whales are larger than megalodons and whale sharks.
The blue whale is the largest creature ever. It grows five times bigger than a megalodon.
How big was a megalodon shark?
Megalodon was an enormous shark. The most recent estimates suggest it could measure up to 20.3 meters (67 feet) in length and possibly weigh between 50,000 to 100,000 kg (110,000 to 220,000 lbs). On average it would have been smaller at around 11 metres (34 feet) and 30-40000 lbs.
According to research, the megalodon’s size is estimated around 60 feet in length and over 60 tons in weight. This makes it larger than other shark species, including the biggest extant shark today. However, it isn’t the biggest animal to have ever lived.
In 1909, Bashford Dean of the American Museum of Natural History suggested the shark could have approached 30 meters (98 ft) in length. However, this is believed to have been inaccurate for several reasons. Further estimates by ichthyologists, marine biologists, and shark researchers used various methods to estimate the shark’s length.
As with other prehistoric creatures, scientists and paleontologists use various methods to estimate the size of sharks like Megalodon. By examining the fossilized teeth and vertebrae, scientists can reconstruct the skeleton and estimate the overall size and dimensions of the shark.
Interestingly enough, the word ‘megalodon’ can be translated to mean ‘large tooth’. According to data on record, megalodon teeth can reach up to 18 centimeters long. Estimations put its mouth at between 8.9 feet to 11.2 feet wide. That’s large enough to gobble down two adult humans side by side.
You’d probably never want to be caught swimming in the same waters as one of these sea monsters. We can definitely say that a human would have been a nice little snack for this prehistoric shark. Researchers agree that the average human would be just slightly larger than the megalodon’s dorsal fin.
Most current, scientifically accepted estimates for the Megalodon’s maximum size fall into the 60-70 foot range, with a weight of 50-70 tons. Compare that to the Great White Shark that maxes out at about 21 feet and 3 1/2 tons. Over time, the development of scientific methods led to better ways of determining the size of extinct animals based on fossil evidence and jaw reconstruction.
How do we know the megalodon existed?
We know primarily about Megalodon’s existence through fossilized teeth. Megalodon’s maximum size is inferred because we do not actually have a whole preserved Megalodon. Using a mathematical relationship between body size and tooth size for Great Whites, we can estimate Megalodon’s size from its teeth.
Scientists know this because they’ve found chips of megalodon teeth embedded in the bones of large marine animals. On the menu, along with whales: large fish, seals, sea lions, dolphins and other sharks.
Even though megalodons and dinosaurs are both extinct, they never coexisted. Megalodons came later. The oldest megalodon fossils are from the Miocene Epoch, which began 23 million years ago.
The species was so widely spread that megalodon teeth have been found on every continent except Antarctica. We know about Megalodon primarily through fossilized teeth. Megalodon teeth disappeared from the fossil record about 2.6 million years ago.
Megalodon is NOT alive today. While regarded as one of the largest and most powerful predators to have ever lived, megalodon is only known from fragmentary remains, and its appearance and maximum size are uncertain.