![]() Second, because of the changing climate, entire species that megalodon preyed upon vanished forever.Īt the same time, competitors helped push megalodon to extinction – that includes the great white shark. Global water temperature dropped that reduced the area where megalodon, a warm-water shark, could thrive. It probably wasn’t one single thing that led to the extinction of this amazing megapredator, but a complex mix of challenges.įirst, the climate dramatically changed. Watch this PBS Eons video and learn more about the megalodon shark. They were way too big to miss we would have lots of photographs and videos. So if megalodons still existed, people would certainly have seen them. What’s more, megalodons spent much of their time relatively close to shore, a place where they easily found prey. That’s one of the reasons scientists believe megalodon went extinct then. Some are found at the bottom of the ocean others washed up on shore.īut nobody has ever found a megalodon tooth that’s less than 3.5 million years old. That means lots of those lost megalodon teeth are around as fossils. All sharks – including megalodons – produce and ultimately lose tens of thousands of teeth throughout their lives. They died out about 3.5 million years ago.Īnd scientists know this because, once again, they looked at the teeth. Internet rumors persist that modern-day megalodons exist – that they still swim around in today’s oceans.īut that’s not true. Corey Ford/iStock via Getty Images Plus Are scientists sure megalodon is extinct? Its teeth have been found on every continent except Antarctica. Megalodon was found in the warm ocean waters of the tropics and subtropics. An artist’s vision of what megalodon might have looked like. ![]() On the menu, along with whales: large fish, seals, sea lions, dolphins and other sharks. Scientists know this because they’ve found chips of megalodon teeth embedded in the bones of large marine animals. Not surprisingly, megalodons ate big prey. Its jaws were up to 10 feet (3 meters) wide, the teeth up to 7 inches (17.8 centimeters) long and the bite force was 40,000 pounds per square inch (2,800 kilograms per square centimeter). This animal was longer than a school bus and as heavy as a railroad car! These incredible predators lived during the time of the dinosaurs megalodon would not appear for another 50 million years.īut when it did arrive on the scene, about 15 million to 20 million years ago, the megalodon must have been an incredible sight.Ī fully grown individual weighed about 50 metric tons – that’s more than 110,000 pounds (50,000 kilograms) – and was 50 to 60 feet long (15 to 18 meters). That includes huge swimming reptiles like ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and the mosasaurs. ![]() Mark Kostich/iStock via Getty Images Plus About the megalodonĪs a scientist who studies sharks and other ocean species, I am fascinated by the awesome marine predators that have appeared and disappeared through the eons. At left, a megalodon tooth at right, for comparison, two teeth from a great white shark. You have just witnessed mealtime for megalodon – formally known as Otodus megalodon – the largest shark ever. Large chunks of the body are ripped off and swallowed whole. With its massive jaws, the monster crushes one of the whales and drags it down into the deep. Suddenly, and without warning, an enormous creature erupts out of the depths. Imagine traveling back in time and observing the oceans of 5 million years ago.Īs you stand on an ancient shoreline, you see several small whales in the distance, gliding along the surface of an ancient sea. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to did the megalodon shark go extinct, and why? – Landon, age 10 Warpaintcobra/iStock via Getty Images Plus Michael Heithaus, Florida International UniversityĬurious Kids is a series for children of all ages. Roaming the ancient seas eons ago, the megalodon shark eviscerated its prey with jaws that were 10 feet wide.
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