Megalodon: 6 Surprising Facts About the Giant Shark

The Megalodon was the biggest shark in the world. It was found almost everywhere on the planet and was one of the most dangerous predators of prehistoric times. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about this giant shark, with a profile and six key features.

Because of its size and incredible bite force, Megalodon is probably the most famous prehistoric shark. It fed mostly on whales and lived on our Earth for at least 6.7 million years.

Cool Facts About Megalodon

In this chapter, we’ll tell you what a Megalodon is, where it was found, and what its name means.

Afterward, we’ve summarized the most important features for you and created a profile with all the key information.

What a Megalodon Is

The Megalodon is a giant shark species that went extinct between 3.6 and 2.6 million years ago. It grew to a maximum length of 15.9 to 20.3 meters and weighed between 50 and 100 tons. That made it five times bigger and thirty times heavier than an average Great White Shark.

The giant shark lived long after the dinosaurs had already gone extinct. The great extinction event happened 66 million years ago.

Megalodon is considered the largest predator that ever lived on Earth. It hunted whales and larger fish and was found all over the world. For comparison: The largest animal in the world is the blue whale, at up to 33 meters long and weighing 200 tons.

Discovery Sites

So far, only teeth, parts of the spine, and bite marks on whales have been found from the prehistoric shark Megalodon. This is because it belongs to the cartilaginous fish, and its bones and tissue can’t be preserved over a long period.

The finds were made worldwide in Australia, Africa, Europe, South and North America, and Asia (India and Japan) and suggest a habitat with a depth of about 200 meters. The Megalodon teeth are over 18 centimeters long. For comparison: A human head is a little over 20 centimeters long.

A Belgian find attributed nearly 150 vertebrae, up to 15.5 centimeters in length, to a Megalodon, suggesting a total length of 9.2 meters. A single, even larger vertebra of 23 centimeters was found in Denmark.

In Panama, Florida, and South Carolina, 'nurseries' with numerous teeth from newborns and juveniles were found. In Panama alone, finds from 2010 and 2013 could be assigned to an impressive 54 individuals.

Meaning of the Name

The prehistoric shark, commonly known as "Megalodon," is actually called Otodus megalodon. Translated from Greek, this name means "big tooth." The term "Otodus" stands for the genus and "megalodon" for the species.

With dinosaurs, on the other hand, the genus name is often used as the shortened version. For example, Velociraptor mongoliensis is known only by its genus name "Velociraptor." Tyrannosaurus Rex, however, is one of the few dinosaur species known by its full name.

Scientific synonyms for the Megalodon include "Megaselachus megalodon," "Carcharocles megalodon," or "Carcharodon megalodon."

6 Features of the Giant Shark

Below, we’ll introduce you to the most important features of the Megalodon. This includes the classification of its genus and species, its habitat, and key physical characteristics like weight, size, and speed.

You’ll also learn about its lifestyle and diet, its hunting behavior, and its life expectancy. Afterward, we’ve summarized the essentials in a profile for you in a clear overview.

Classification of the Genus and Species

The only known species so far is Otodus megalodon. It belongs to the genus "Otodus," the extinct family Otodontidae, and the order of mackerel sharks (Lamniformes).

This shark family is characterized by especially large teeth. This is what distinguishes it from modern mackerel sharks. The superorder of the Megalodon is called Galeomorphii. The bull shark, which is said to look very similar to Megalodon, also belongs to this group. Galeomorphii are recognizable by specific physical features like five gill slits or a relatively large brain.

Furthermore, Megalodon belongs to the class of cartilaginous fish and the group of sharks (Selachii). Cartilaginous fish live mostly in the sea and don’t have real bones. Their skeleton is made of cartilage that hardens with calcium deposits. Real bones are only found exceptionally in the vertebrae of old, large sharks like Megalodon.

When Megalodon Lived

The world’s largest shark lived from about 10.3 to 2.6 million years ago. Some researchers believe it went extinct as early as 3.6 million years ago.

In 1959, the zoologist Wladimir Tschernezky estimated that teeth found in 1875 were between 11,000 and 24,000 years old. He based this estimate on a layer of manganese dioxide, which could have been altered by many environmental factors. This dating is therefore quite controversial.

The specific time periods in which Megalodon lived are called the Miocene and Pliocene. Some fossils of the shark are even estimated to be from the Burdigalian in the Miocene (20 to 16 million years ago). Its reign probably ended in the Zanclean (until 3.6 million years ago) or the Piacenzian (until 2.6 million years ago) in the Pliocene.

Habitat

Megalodon was probably present in all the world’s oceans and lived mainly in warmer regions. Based on fossils, its habitat was in seas of less than 200 meters depth. However, it’s also conceivable that it occasionally spent time at depths of 300 meters.

The idea that it could have survived in the lightless deep sea to this day is, however, unlikely. In that case, the shark would have had to permanently stay in a habitat deeper than 200 meters, which would have required a rapid adaptation to the new life there.

Size, Weight, and Speed

The prehistoric shark is estimated to have a maximum length of 15.9 to 20.3 meters and a weight of 50 to 100 tons. For an average adult specimen of 16 meters, its dorsal fin would be about 1.6 meters high and 2 meters long.

Its tail fin would be about 3.8 meters high, and its total height would be about 4.5 meters including the dorsal fin. Apart from these two fins, Megalodon also had two pectoral fins, each 3.1 meters long.

Even the newborns are estimated to have been 2 to 4 meters in size, and the juveniles 4 to 10 meters. The overall body build was slightly stockier and more compact than that of the Great White Shark. Its teeth grew to over 18 centimeters long.

Due to its size, Megalodon was probably not particularly fast. One of the reasons for its extinction could have been that its prey became too fast for it, but more on that later.

Lifestyle, Diet, and Hunting Behavior

A kind of 'nursery' for Otodus megalodon was discovered in Panama. The fossil teeth found there in 2010 and 2013 could be assigned to 54 different individuals. Among them were mostly juveniles and a few newborns. In this area, the offspring presumably found sufficient protection and food.

Other such nurseries were found in Florida and South Carolina. All three sites are in warmer regions, which is why researchers assume that the young were probably more sensitive to cold than the adults.

Megalodon was a meat- and fish-eating hunter and predator that, as an adult, primarily fed on whales. During the Pliocene, there were many toothed and baleen whales as well as seals that were suitable prey.

Juveniles probably ate younger whales, larger fish, dolphins, manatees, or dugongs. Turtles would also have been possible prey in tropical seas.

Its hunting behavior was studied based on 70 bites in whale bones that likely came from Megalodon. They suggest that the hunter first targeted the fins to immobilize its prey. After that, it probably attacked vital organs like the lungs or the heart.

Life Expectancy

The life expectancy of Megalodon is estimated at an age of 88 to 100 years. The animal’s vertebrae, like tree rings, provide information about how old it was at the time of death. For comparison: The Great White Shark can live up to 73 years.

Profile: The Megalodon

In this profile, you’ll find all the features of the gigantic prehistoric shark summarized once again. This includes the most important key data such as its size, weight, and age, as well as the classification of its species in the biological system.

Afterward, you will find a comparison to the Great White Shark, the reasons for its extinction, as well as interesting facts about alleged sightings and the portrayal of Megalodon in the media.

• Species Name:
  Otodus megalodon ("big tooth")
• Genus:
  Otodus
• Family:
  Otodontidae
• Order:
  Mackerel sharks (Lamniformes)
• Superorder:
  Galeomorphii
• Group:
  Sharks
• Class:
  Cartilaginous fish
• Period:
  Miocene to Pliocene (about 10.3–2.6 million years ago)
• Habitat:
  Worldwide
• Diet:
  Meat and fish eater
• Physical Characteristics:
  Enormous size, triangular dorsal fin, crescent-shaped tail fin, two pectoral fins
• Length:
  Max. 15.9–20.3 meters
• Height:
  About 4.5 meters (incl. dorsal fin)
• Dorsal Fin:
  About 1.6 meters high, 2 meters long
• Tail Fin:
  About 3.8 meters high
• Weight:
  50–100 tons
• Age:
  88–100 years

Megalodon vs. Great White Shark – A Comparison

The Megalodon and the Great White Shark are often compared because they were once thought to be close relatives. That’s why the Great White Shark is often seen as a smaller counterpart to the prehistoric giant.

Both shark species belong to the mackerel sharks (Lamniformes), but they belong to different families. In terms of appearance, Megalodon probably looked most like the bull shark.

However, comparing Megalodon to the well-known Great White Shark is still helpful for you to better visualize the size differences and get an idea of how huge the prehistoric shark really was. Besides key data like size and weight, the bite force of both animals was also calculated in a study.

For a huge 100-ton Megalodon specimen, it would be ten times stronger than that of a Great White Shark and at least three times stronger than that of a T-Rex (30 to 57 kilonewtons).

For smaller individuals, a bite force of about 109 kilonewtons was calculated. However, researchers assume that the actual force of a Megalodon bite is higher than these calculations.

Here’s a quick rundown of the stats for both sharks:

Megalodon Stats

• Length: Up to 20.3 meters
• Weight: 50 – 100 tons
• Bite Force: 109 – 182 kilonewtons
• Life Expectancy: 88 – 100 years

Great White Shark Stats

• Length: Up to 6 meters
• Weight: Up to 3.3 tons
• Bite Force: 18 kilonewtons
• Life Expectancy: Up to 73 years

Extinction of Megalodon

The giant shark lived on our planet for at least 6.7 million years. It probably went extinct about 3.6 or 2.6 million years ago. This is around the time the Stone Age began and humans slowly started to develop. They used found Megalodon teeth, for example, as spearheads.

There are various theories about the extinction of the shark. We have summarized them for you:

• Rivalry with other predators (like Great White Sharks, killer whales), young ones found too little food or were hunted themselves
• Extinction of prey animals due to cooling of the seas
• Slow speed (New prey species became faster, Megalodon did not)
• Important prey like whales migrated to polar regions where Megalodon could not follow them
• No longer had access to the nursery in the West Atlantic due to shifting land plates and volcanic eruptions

It was likely a combination of all these assumptions that was responsible for Megalodon’s extinction. A few researchers believe that it might have survived for longer.

There are rumors that it could still be living in the deep sea today. However, this would have required a rapid adaptation of the animal to the new environment and the sinking sea temperatures at the beginning of the Ice Age, which is very unlikely.

In addition, numerous animal species went extinct during these temperature changes. Furthermore, it can be assumed that the giant shark would leave clear marks on its prey.

Megalodon Sightings

Over time, there have been repeated alleged Megalodon sightings, such as in 1918 by lobster fishermen in Australia. They claimed to have seen a giant shark at least 30 meters in size and refused to go back out to sea for days.

In addition, there have been fake photos and videos, or sightings of other shark species that were mistaken for a Megalodon. Science assumes that the giant shark is indeed extinct.

However, its survival cannot be completely ruled out. After all, the coelacanth was also long thought to be extinct, and until then, only remains that were over 65 million years old had been found.

But from 1938 onwards, it was found again. This bony fish has thus been on our Earth for 409 million years and shared its habitat with dinosaurs like Spinosaurus.

The Giant Shark in the Media

The Megalodon received a lot of attention from the science fiction film "The Meg" from 2018. It is based on the novel "Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror" by Steve Alten.

The film is about the gigantic prehistoric shark suddenly reappearing and attacking everything around it. People try to protect themselves from it and fight it with all their might.

There was also a mockumentary called "Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives" (2013) from the Discovery Channel. This production was intended to give the appearance of a real documentary and simulate that the giant shark has survived.

Furthermore, as already mentioned, videos and images of alleged sightings keep appearing. The Megalodon is therefore repeatedly represented in the media and is one of the most attention-grabbing sharks of our time.

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