Could Megalodon Survive Nowadays? #
Could Megalodon Survive Nowadays?
Megalodon was quite simply one of the biggest and most powerful predators to have ever lived on the planet. It was a prehistoric species of shark that lived from the early Miocene to the Pliocene, 23 to 3.6 million years ago.
Megalodon’s size and appearance have been hotly debated over the years. Whilst its fossilized vertebrae and skulls have been found by scientists, the most common are the teeth. From these, researchers have estimated the giant shark’s size and body form.
Incredibly, a megalodon tooth dwarfs that of a great white shark. A full-grown human would need to use both hands to hold one of these gigantic teeth, measuring 14 centimeters or 5.5 inches long. Equally impressive have been the fossilized megalodon vertebrae that have been found, some measuring as big as a dinner plate.
Although size estimates of megalodon have been debated over the years, their maximum length has been considered anything from 14 to 20 meters, or 47 to 67 feet. In comparison, great white sharks can reach about 20 feet long, but typically average 15. Impressive reconstructions of megalodon have shown that a full-grown human, standing upright, could fit within its jaws.
Megalodon was once thought to be related to great white sharks, but fossilized evidence points to a separate lineage. Their snouts were likely more squashed than the great white's, with a less pointy tip. Due to its enormous size, it is thought that the megalodon had extended pectoral fins to help support it in the water. These fins would be more like today's blue sharks.
The ancestors of Megalodon date back to more than 100 million years ago. Some of the great white's ancestors are thought to have lived alongside Megalodon, perhaps even in competition with each other.
But what happened to the largest fish to ever have lived in our waters? What did it eat? And where did it live?
Here, we ask the question, could Megalodon survive nowadays?
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