Interesting Facts to Know about Megalodon Sharks

You may think that the biggest marine predator is the Great White Shark, but it is actually nothing when compared to the ancient Megalodon sharks. The giant shark had 46 to 59 feet of length (around 14 to 18 meters). This shark lived in Cenozoic Era, which was around 28 million to 1.5 million years before our present time. It is a good thing that this species is extinct now; you can’t imagine the destruction and chaos it causes if it still lived in today’s modern era.

There are some evidences that show Megalodon sharks weren’t only huge, but also dangerous and deadly. In fact, this type of shark is still considered as the biggest predator on earth – even bigger than the ancient dinosaurs, like Kronosaurus and Liopleurodon. There are some interesting facts about this shark that you may find interesting.

First of all, this shark had the longest teeth – about 7 inches. 7 inch is almost a foot long. You can only compare it to Sabertooth or T-Rex, which lived up to 65 millions years ago. That’s why it is called Megalodon – giant tooth, in ancient Greek. The shape and arrangement of the teeth aren’t only dangerous, but also deadly. The teeth had heart shape with serrated edges. Even the Great White Shark’s teeth are only about 3 inches long.

With such long teeth and such arrangement, you can imagine the strength and the power of the bite. With such huge mass and powerful teeth like that, it is a definitive thing that the shark was able to cause serious damages. In fact, a research and study done in 2008 proved that Megalodon sharks had the strongest and most powerful bite – than any other living creatures on earth. A joint research team from America and Australia were using computer simulation to find out the biting power of this giant shark. The result was amazing 10.8 tons to 18 tons of force, which was enough to munch down an ancient whale within a single bite easily. The Great White Shark with 1.8 tons of force or lion with 600 pounds ability is certainly nothing when compared to the Megalodon.

Third, it is possible that the shark managed to grow more than 60 feet with total weight of 100 tons. Although scientists are still debating over the matter of its exact size and weight, paleontologists manage to produce an estimation that is based on the tooth size – along with the comparison to Great White Shark. The adult sharks were estimated to grow up to 55 feet or even to 60 feet.

Unlike the modern sharks – that are restricted within a certain area because of the inland rivers or coastlines – Megalodon sharks seemed to have a world range distribution. Their fossils have been scattered all around the world, found in different countries and areas.

And the last interesting fact is there is no known information why the sharks were extinct. Some theories say that the Ice Age was responsible for it. However, there are also possible theories that the disappearance of giant whales had its toll on the existence of this great and giant marine monster.