Large megalodon. Ancient megalodon shark: description, dimensions, interesting facts. How the ancient shark became extinct
In 1954, the Australian ship Rachel Cohen was undergoing major repairs at one of the Adelaide docks. The repair began with " spring cleaning" We started cleaning the bottom of the ship from shells, and discovered 17 huge teeth stuck in the hull. Each one measures 8 by 10 cm.
In the entire history of the Earth, only one “fish” could boast of such teeth - megalodon. One problem: it became extinct 1.5 million years ago. Or not?
26.5 million years old giant bloodthirsty shark, known as megalodon(Carcharodon megalodon), reigned in the world's oceans. Nature has never created anything more terrible. According to scientists, the length megalodon reached from 20 to 30 meters! And it weighed from 50 to 100 tons. His favorite food were sperm whales and baleen whales, which he snacked on, as they say, at a time.
Can you imagine the size of the mouth of this monstrous fish if a 10-meter whale was an ordinary hunting object for it? These super predators were at the top of the food chain. And, so to speak, they kept all aquatic inhabitants in fear.
The huge teeth, which are found throughout the ocean, indicating an incredibly wide distribution of megalodons, are triangular in shape and resemble sharks. The only difference is in scale. The tooth of the largest - the great white shark - does not exceed 6 cm. While in the megalodon the most modest “fang” reaches 10 cm, but the usual size for them is 17-18 cm.
Actually, using these teeth, scientists were able to approximately recreate the appearance and size of the predator, because the largest individuals were female - “megalodonichus”. First, they reconstructed the jaw, and then the “figure,” taking into account the fact that the closest relative of megalodons is the great white shark. The result was a kind of “great white”, only more “big-boned”, and also addicted to steroids: the frightening-looking skeleton now flaunts in the Maryland Maritime Museum (USA).
It is simply impossible to pass by and not shudder in horror. A wide skull, massive jaws and a short, blunt snout are an unattractive appearance. As ichthyologists joke, “it’s obvious megalodon was a pig." Next to this giant, a person feels like just a grain of sand. And looking at a 2-meter jaw with 5 rows of teeth makes you shiver. You can’t help but be glad that these monsters are no longer in the ocean.
But is it really not? This is just a big question.
From a geological point of view, animals are considered extinct if no signs of their presence are found for more than 400,000 years. However, let's not forget about the Australian ship Rachel Cohen: tests showed that the teeth found in the bottom of the ship actually belonged to a megalodon. Okay, let's say it was a hoax. But what about the findings of paleontologists and ichthyologists?
The last teeth of megalodons, discovered in the vicinity of Tahiti and in our Baltic Sea, were dated almost as “youthful” - they were given 11 thousand years. They didn't even have time to petrify properly! Feel the difference: 1.5 million - and 11 thousand years! Don't forget to take into account the fact that only 10% of the world's oceans have been studied. So it may turn out that somewhere out there - in the depths - there are also these “charming fish”.
Would you say that such giant sharks could not go unnoticed? Leave your pride behind. The deep-sea shark known as the greatmouth shark was only discovered by humanity in 1976. And this was completely by accident: one individual got stuck in the anchor chain of a research vessel in the waters near the island of Oahu (Hawaii). 36 years have passed since then, but during all this time the largemouth shark was seen only 25 times - and then only in the form of corpses on the coast.
The goblin shark, also known as the goblin shark, discovered its presence in the world's oceans in 1897. And before that it was considered long ago and hopelessly extinct.
And people first “located” the whale shark in 1828, until then remaining blissfully unaware of its existence.
In addition, no one has scanned the World Ocean. And to the coast megalodon will never come closer - its impressive size will not allow it. So this one shark leads a deep-sea lifestyle. How deep? Good question. Sperm whales, for example, are the largest known to science predatory animals, are able to dive to a depth of 3 kilometers and feel great there: they don’t care about water pressure. True, they have to rise to the surface for a breath of air. Megalodons don’t need this either: their gills supply them with oxygen. So it’s too early, too early to cross them off the list of the living!
Meeting with the “beautiful”
A strong argument in favor of the “survivability” of megalodons is given in his book “Sharks and Rays of the Australian Seas” (1963) by the famous Australian ichthyologist David George Stead.
In 1918 he worked for public service and was responsible for commercial fishing in the southern waters of Australia. And so he was hastily called from the port of Stevenson: local fishermen refuse to go to sea, scared to death by some huge fish - they need specialist advice. Stead hurried to appear. After questioning the fishermen thoroughly, he found out the following.
Following the established order once and for all, early morning The lobster fishermen went to retrieve the traps they had set the day before. We arrived at the place - Bruton Island. Divers went underwater to attach traps to motorboats. The rest of the team quietly awaited their return. However, the divers rose immediately. In panic, they climbed onto the decks, shouting in different voices: “ Shark! Gigantic shark! Let's get out of here immediately!!"
And indeed, in the water surface the fishermen saw the outlines of a huge terrible fish. Without wasting a second, they hurried to leave scary place. And after recovering from horror, the divers said that, having descended to the bottom, they saw an incredibly large ash-white shark. She devoured the placed traps with lobsters and neither anchor chains nor cables stopped her.
According to the stories of the fishermen, it turned out that the shark reached 35 meters in length. And her head was the size of the roof of a boat shed.
The ichthyologist did not immediately believe the fishermen: common sense told him that megalodon(and judging by the size of the shark, it could only be him) there was no way he could resurrect and show up in Australian waters. On the other hand, Stead realized: there is no reason for fishermen to lie and avoid work, because their income depends on the catch. Besides, to invent such a story required a certain amount of imagination. The fishermen were experienced sailors, but not dreamers.
So as a scientist, Stead was a complete fiasco: he could neither refute nor confirm the words of the lobster fishermen. For himself, the ichthyologist concluded: one cannot exclude the fact that megalodons still live in the World Ocean. And you know, we tend to agree with him. Who knows what it hides - this deep blue sea?
Steps No. 22 2012
Oddly enough, the most famous prehistoric shark is still shrouded in mystery. After all, it is known mainly from its teeth and a small number of vertebrae. Latin name of the species comes from a pair of ancient Greek words for "big tooth". The reason is simple: the fish’s teeth were gigantic in size, just like the fish itself. It can be called one of the largest and most dangerous sea predators of all times.
Business card
Time and place of existence
Megalodons existed from the end of the Oligocene to the beginning of the Pleistocene, about 28.1 - 1.5 million years ago (from the Rupelian to the beginning of the Calabrian stage). They were very widespread: remains are found on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica. Fossilized teeth have also been discovered at considerable distances from land, for example in Mariana Trench V Pacific Ocean.
A rich painting by Italian paleoartist Alberto Gennari: a megalodon begins to eat a whale. Restless seagulls are circling nearby, and smaller sharks have gathered in the depths, ready to snatch a piece at any opportunity.
Types and history of discovery
For a long time, the extinct fish was considered a relative of the white shark and was assigned to the genus Carcharodon (in this case, the Latin name of the species is Carcharodon megalodon), however, recent research suggests that it belongs to the genus Carcharocles (in this case the name is Carcharocles megalodon). At the moment, there is no complete certainty on this issue due to the lack of sufficient material.
In this dynamic painting by Canadian artist Andrew Domachowski, a megalodon literally bursts into a living gathering with its mouth open.
By all indications, people have found fossil remains of megalodon and other prehistoric sharks since primitive times. However, the first fairly clear mention in the literature dates back to the Renaissance: the finds of huge triangular teeth extracted from rocks are described.
Naturally, in those days mythical and even mystical properties were easily attributed to these impressive artifacts. It was said that these were real confirmations of the existence of terrible dragons and giant snakes– their petrified tongues. It even appeared common name – glossopetras(Latin word glossopetrae comes from the ancient Greek phrase "stone tongues").
However, even then there were scientists who were well acquainted with the anatomy of sharks. In 1667, the Danish anatomist and geologist Niels Stensen published his work "Elementorum myologiæ specimen, seu musculi descriptio geometrica: cui accedunt Canis Carchariæ dissectum caput, et dissectus piscis ex Canum genere", in which he notes the extraordinary similarity of the glossopetra with the teeth of a large shark caught near the port city of Livorno (Italy) a year earlier.
His famous illustration from the treatise is presented, where we see the supposed head of a megalodon at the base of the teeth. It still appears in many books on the history of paleontology as one of the first paleontological discoveries.
However scientific description Megalodon was born only two hundred years later. In 1835, the Swiss naturalist Jean Louis Agassiz, using the knowledge on sharks accumulated by the 19th century, assigned the name Carcharodon megalodon to the owner of the huge fossil teeth. It happens within the book "Recherches Sur Les Poissons Fossiles", which was completely completed in 1843.
Turkish illustrator Kerem Beyit shows us an attack on a pod of sperm whales from the depths.
At the beginning of the article, we explained the species name of megalodon. The Latin name of the genus, Carcharocles, comes from a pair of ancient Greek words for “glorious tooth” (Carcharodon - “shark tooth”). Since then in different parts light, a huge number of fossilized megalodon teeth of various sizes were found. Some of them were deposited in museums, while others are in private collections.
Body structure
The body length of the megalodon reached 16 meters. The height is up to 4.5 meters. He weighed up to 47,690 kilograms. Is largest representative order of lamniformes and one of the largest sharks in the entire history of our planet.
Comparison of an animal with a white shark and a diver from BBC artists.
And finally, a comparison of the megalodon with the average bus from documentary film "Prehistoric predators: Monster Shark" produced by National Geographic.
Unfortunately, megalodon is known only from numerous teeth, as well as fragments of the spine. This is directly related to the fact that the shark’s skeleton consists not of bones, but of cartilage: the likelihood of their fossilization is significantly less. Therefore the complete image ancient predator remains a mystery for now. Currently, most reconstructions are based on the structure of its possible relative, the white shark.
Megalodon moved, just like modern views, controlling movement in the water through several types of fins. He was capable of developing high speeds, so necessary for a swift attack and when chasing prey. The head is equipped with powerful trap-like jaws with several rows of sharp teeth.
Dr. Jeremiah Clifford, who specializes in skeletal reconstructions, stands in the jaws of a megalodon, holding the jaws of a white shark in his hands.
And now for a rather spectacular comparison of a megalodon tooth with the teeth of a white shark.
Note also that the length of the largest tooth is about 18.5 centimeters diagonally. It was discovered by paleontologist Peter Larson of the Black Hills Geological Research Institute. This is the largest tooth for the entire existence of the superorder of sharks.
We present to your attention a photograph of a record-breaking megalodon tooth (in the foreground).
Bite force
Recent research suggests that megalodon had incredible strength bite - up to 108514 N. Apparently, it was necessary to inflict effective damage when hunting large animals.Other aspects
The body of the Cenozoic super predator was voluminous and teardrop-shaped. It smoothly turned into a tail, which ended in a rather long heterocercal caudal fin. Overall, the megalodon was a superbly armed shark of enormous physical strength. The photo shows an exhibit of the species Carcharocles megalodon (formerly Carcharodon megalodon) from the Calvert Maritime Museum (Solomons Settlement, Maryland, USA). Reconstructed on the basis of a white shark, taking into account available fossils.
Below are spectacular jaws in the beautiful interior of the American Museum of Natural History (New York, New York, USA).
Nutrition and lifestyle
Megalodon lived in seas almost all over the world, but preferred warm environments. Apparently, the predator used behavioral patterns quite similar to modern white sharks. However, there were also significant differences dictated by the unique body structure and colossal size. Megalodon was a pronounced solitary predator, although it could easily tolerate other individuals in its immediate vicinity. In cases of attacks on very large whales, the collective attack was mutually beneficial.Unlike its modern relative, the adult megalodon had almost no restrictions on its range of potential targets. Megalodon could attack alone as in packs small fish, and on very large whales. This made it possible to become a real thunderstorm of the oceans, a marine resemblance to a tyrannosaurus. A superpredator over a fairly long chronological interval. At the same time, megalodon had different attack strategies for each type of animal, which is also observed in sharks today.
An unusual illustration by English paleoartist Robert Nichols. A herd of Anancus was carried out to sea by a tsunami that suddenly arrived on the calm sea shores. Their dead bodies drifted for some time until the spreading smell attracted the attention of huge ancient sharks. A pair of adult megalodons and one cub took advantage of the opportunity, not at all shying away from the taste of decomposition.
And here a living Platybelodon was attacked in shallow water. Sometimes young megalodons could hunt in shelf seas and, moreover, swim very close to the shore. Author: Canadian paleoartist Julius Csotonyi.
Let us note that the total capacity of the arsenal is not comparable with analogues of its contemporaries. Moreover, even the teeth were somewhat stronger than those of the latter: thicker and wider, with a massive base.
Comparison of the teeth of a megalodon (left) and a great white shark (right) at the same scale from Prehistoric Wildlife.
They were adapted to the high loads that arise during the hunt for perfectly protected animals. As fossils show, megalodon tried to inflict critical injuries by attacking important organs and motor systems. The force of the bite was so strong that even bones were cracked. And these were not only multi-meter thick-skinned whales (from the families of sperm whales and right whales to dolphins), but also giant sea turtles.
3D scene of a megalodon attacking a sea turtle from the Discovery Channel's Shark Week: Sharkzilla.
Other potential victims include smaller cetaceans, as well as pinnipeds and sirenians.
A very large megalodon is chasing a mammal from the order of sirens - the dugong.
Odobenocetops and Brygmophyseter, which appear in documentaries, could theoretically also be targets.
And this is not the full range of marine animals. Since megalodon existed for many millions of years, it managed to meet and survive more than one evolutionary generation sea creatures. With a high probability, megalodons also ate representatives of other sharks. It is also important to say that the diet of very young individuals differed significantly from the diet of adults: the proportion small fish and shellfish in it was significantly higher.
Video
Excerpt from the documentary "Prehistoric Predators: Monster Shark." Skeletal elements and hunting scenes are shown.
A fragment from the popular science series "Shark Week: Sharkzilla". Megalodon attacks various representatives of the ancient fauna.
Excerpt from the documentary "Jurassic Fight Club: Sea Hunters." A member of the Ancient Brygmophyseter pack is attacked. Note that the size of the latter is greatly overestimated here.
Fragment of the feature-documentary film "Walking with sea monsters"Observation of megalodon in its native habitat.
Literature
Recommended scientific works:- Wroe, S.; Huber, D. R.; Lowry, M.; McHenry, C.; Moreno, K.; Clausen, P.; Ferrara, T. L.; Cunningham, E.; Dean, M. N.; Summers, A. P. (2008).
Niramin - Oct 12th, 2015
Megalodon is the largest shark in the world, roaming the ocean in prehistoric times. Scientists judge what she was like from her few fossilized remains - vertebrae and teeth. It is not the size of the fish that is striking: the largest shark was no more than 30 m in length, which is similar to the size of a blue whale.
Megalodon was merciless brutal killer, who hunted in the shallow waters of the seas and oceans. The superpredator fed on large prey - whales, dolphins, sharks.
Theorists believe that the last monster shark went extinct more than a million years ago. But its existence is still shrouded in deep mystery. One thing is undeniable - the remains of a shark larger than megalodon have never been found.
The megalodon's mouth is more than 2 m. The predator's teeth are cone-shaped, 18 cm in height, with serrations. There are 276 teeth in the mouth, arranged in 5 rows.
The predator did not rush at the prey with its mouth open. He developed enormous speed and pushed, stunning her. The blows were fatal. Large prey, such as whales, the shark immobilized them by biting off their fins.
Scientists keep information about the existence of the shark secret. But from the leaked information it follows that megalodons are alive, their immunity has become invulnerable, and their aggression has doubled.
Japanese fishermen were attacked by the monster. A similar meeting was described by David Stead, a famous Australian ichthyologist. According to him, the length of the attacking shark was more than 35 m, and its head was the size of the roof of a port shed.
Everything is ambiguous. The secret of the megalodon, which leads a deep-sea lifestyle, is kept by the world's oceans.
See what Megalodon looked like:
Video: Megalodon is an extinct species of shark
Video: MEGALODON EXISTS
Video: The Nightmarish Megalodon | Sharkzilla - Shark Week 2012
The result of ongoing debate about whether Megalodon is alive or is it still a long historical past, today there can be an almost unambiguous answer - yes, the Megalodon shark is alive!
In addition, the opinions of scrupulous ichthyologists are increasingly inclined to the conclusion that soon giant monster may appear on the surface in all its glory.
2014 – new sensational facts
Every year, the “piggy bank” of scant and partly secret information about Megalodon is replenished with new discoveries in the study of its biology, and new facts of its discovery in the World Ocean.
Some of these episodes are filtered out at the stages of information verification, some remain inaccessible (due to various reasons, we will look at this in more detail), and some of it leaks into the public.
In other words, we can only manage a third of the data, which is not rejected either by the scientists themselves or by simple common sense.
Megalodon is alive: satellite data
In the summer of 2014, several orbital systems from a number of countries (which increases the chances of the information being veracious) detected large underwater objects at shallow depths in the area of the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea.
These objects:
They did not have dimensions and shapes corresponding to certain underwater/surface military assets;
showed little activity, sometimes completely hiding in the ocean depths;
were large for common biological forms;
for a long time they could hide in the depths, which denies their analogy with whales.
The opinions of scientists on this matter are identical: these unusual objects in body shape and behavior are sharks, but very big sharks. No individual great white shark has ever reached a length exceeding 16 meters. Namely, such “dimensional” data were recorded by instruments from space.
In addition, the location where these “super-sharks” were discovered is directly close to the Mariana Trench - the place of the supposed mysterious “registration” of Megalodon.
Megalodon discovered by submarine
Similar information was broadcast by the submarine radars of our country, Japan and China. But the object was “tracked” by sound-location systems already further from the island of Papua, namely in the waters of the Philippines.
The sailors noticed, however, that the mysterious stranger was clearly “withdrawing” from communicating with them, also making attempts to dive to very great depths.
The data on its parametric data coincided with the information from the satellites, the nature of the movement corresponded to the “behavior” of a living being, not a machine, and the reaction to signals from submarines was also distinguished by the unpredictability of living biology.
Experts' comments on underwater encounters between submarines and a discovered object similar to a living Megalodon are as follows:
The sizes and shapes are quite suitable for a large shark.
The non-aggressiveness of the object can be explained by a number of reasons, among which the main one is the caution of the predator.
“Yes, it is quite possible that Megalodon remained alive today, including thanks to such a new quality as caution,” says Max Brut from the University of Florida. “Such a large predator today should hide “from prying eyes” not because it weak or not hungry, but because it new round its evolution.
The nature of Megalodon is certainly transformed by modern conditions ocean life. The same instinct of self-preservation comes into play here.
Could Megalodon have been alive if it had remained at its previous level of adaptive capabilities? No, of course not. I would not be surprised that if this superpredator is ever caught, then in its skull we will find completely different brains from its long-time ancient relative.
You understand, the strongest survive, including if rationality is present in his strength.”
Megalodon hunting facts - reports from fishermen
Of course, Megalodon's caution does not negate its predatory behavior. It’s just that this monster’s aggression has become more or less targeted. We already know how much energy any attack takes from a shark, and not all of them are effective in most cases.
It is quite obvious that hunting Megalodon is also a “troublesome” matter. As scientists have calculated, a living monster needs up to 1.2 thousand kg of food.
Killing such a quantity of live weight is clearly not easy, especially in the depleted biocenosis of the modern ocean.
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In 2014 and 2015, 6 cases were recorded, similar in the development of events and consequences, and demonstrating the facts of an attack large species sharks on fishermen's ships and boats.
What these paintings had in common was:
Proximity of water areas - all six episodes occurred in the Pacific Ocean, in its western and southern parts at great depths.
The hull of the boat was damaged - large cracks in the bottom or huge holes in the side parts.
The attacks occurred either when a boat or ship removed gear with a catch, or when it was placed at certain points.
In all cases, the attack was accompanied by the appearance of a large shark fin above the water, severe water disturbance, and in two cases the death of crew members.
In one case, namely an episode on August 15, 2014 in Indonesian waters, a local fishing schooner was almost completely rammed by an underwater object. At the same time, 4 people from the team died.
Scientists who examined the nature and traces of these holes and teeth were also unanimous in their conclusions - they belong to a shark, a predator of very large dimensions and very heavy weight(impact force exceeded 17 tons).
However, it was not even these facts that swayed the scientific community to the unequivocal conclusion that it was a Megalodon. Another piece of evidence has been discovered, clearing away any doubt as to whether Megalodon is alive or has been dead for millennia...
Important natural evidence for the existence of Megalodon
Cases of death of large whales both in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Military and industrial sailors several times this year came across the bodies of dead whales with sharks circling near them.
In two cases, the situation allowed these carcasses to be partially examined for the cause of death. And in these two episodes, amazing data was discovered - both animals died from bites by huge jaws.
The shapes of this bite were similar to a shark's jaw structure, with only a slight difference.
The top third tooth was not a tooth from a great white shark.
It belonged to the thought to be extinct Megalodon shark!
Several years ago, US scientists made a second attempt to reconstruct the jaws of this super shark. The first was implemented at the beginning of the last century and since then has proven its “failure” several times.
This time, Megalodon's entire jaw was made up of real teeth, which have been found all over the world. And it is the third upper tooth his jaw was the “main link”.
In a white shark it is located at an angle, but in Megalodon it is at a right angle, this gives it its appearance famous predator different kind.
Scientists have been putting together this “puzzle” of the jaws of the oldest shark for a long time, and now this tooth is the strongest evidence that Megalodon is alive. Otherwise, traces of whose jaw were found both on ships and on whale carcasses?
Traces with a “straight” third tooth are an argument from nature itself.
We expect Megalodon to appear in the coming years
So, 2014 and 2015 revealed to the world the secret of all the oceans - Megalodon exists, it began to manifest itself as a hunter, but a hunter of a different, more dangerous type - careful, rational and purposeful.
We got real facts his presence, we have part scientific research leading institutions of the world.
Confirmation of the life of Megalodon in our modern ocean will soon not be needed at all - we will see it ourselves, we will be able to film it, study it in laboratories.
There is little left, nature does not stop developing, we just need to be prepared for its surprises. And it is not at all necessary to clone this shark by DNA, Megalodon is already more alive than all living sharks!
But why is this information hidden, what could be the reason for this concealment?
Megalodon shark - elite prehistoric predator
It is difficult now to imagine that the waters of the World Ocean are fraught with a threat in the form of a 20-meter dangerous predator. The scary giant shark against all the inhabitants of the sea will always come out victorious. She has almost no enemies, she is merciless and strong.
Now this is more like science fiction, but some 10-15 million years ago, which is absolutely not enough for the history of the Earth, real monster sharks roamed the expanses of the seas and oceans.
Megalodons, which is the name scientists gave to fossil giant sharks, amaze our imagination with their enormous size and mass. It is believed that adult specimens of these fish reached 20-25 meters in length and weighed 48 tons.
The fossilized teeth of Megalodon found by archaeologists are awe-inspiring, because some of them reach 20 cm in length. And if you consider that there are more than a dozen such teeth in the mouth, and the jaws themselves are 3 meters high, you think about all the power of the shark that existed in ancient times.
The megalodon shark, whose photo is often published in publications for naturalists, was one of the largest and most dangerous underwater predators. For more than 14 million years, she was the rightful ruler of the seas and oceans of our planet. However, almost 1.6 million years ago huge shark Megalodon mysteriously disappeared. Only its younger and smaller relative remained on Earth - the white shark, which even today evokes mixed feelings - admiration, curiosity, fear.
External features
Wide skull, short snout and huge jaws - giant predator resembled a huge pig. Interestingly, the skeleton of the megalodon shark consisted not of bones, but of cartilage. Large teeth researchers for a long time were mistaken for the bones of large dragons or snakes.
Reconstructions
Unfortunately, the complete remains of the ancient shark have not been preserved in the world, with the exception of teeth and vertebrae. For this reason, one can judge what the megalodon shark looked like only from reconstructions of this creature, which scientists resort to when comparing the ancient predator with a great white shark.
The first such attempt was made by the Museum (USA) at the very beginning of the 20th century. The jaw he recreated exceeded three meters, and the size of the megalodon shark, according to scientists, was about 30 meters. This is an impressive figure.
In 1973, J. E. Randall, in the course of his research, concluded that the size of the megalodon shark reached 13 meters. Research continued.
In 1996, M.D. Gottfried and a group of scientists came to the conclusion that the ancient megalodon shark had a body length of 16 to 20 meters and its weight was 47 tons.
Megalodon habits
There is an opinion that these underwater predators feed on small prey. However, the megalodon shark (photo posted in this article), due to its gigantic size, incredibly strong and powerful jaws and teeth, preferred to feed on larger prey. The discovered remains give scientists reason to claim that ancient predators fed on cetaceans - bowhead whales, sperm whales, dolphins, cetotheriums, sirenians, porpoises, sea turtles.
Today, a huge number of whale bones have been discovered, on which traces of deep scratches are clearly visible, as if left by large teeth. Researchers are confident that such traces were left by megalodon teeth. Moreover, the teeth themselves were discovered next to many of these remains.
Hunting
Typically, sharks are predators that use a complex hunting strategy. Megalodon became an exception in this sense: due to its gigantic body size, it was not able to develop too much high speed, his stamina was quite limited. Researchers are confident that the megalodon shark hunted using ambushes, patiently waiting for the prey to approach. Versions have been put forward that this predator could go for a ram, and then it killed and ate the prey. B. Kent is sure that such large and powerful teeth ancient fish were capable of breaking bones and damaging the vital organs of their victims.
Causes of extinction
It is generally accepted that the megalodon shark became extinct several million years ago. Experts disagree about this event - from 1.6 to 3 million years ago. Scientists believe the main reason for the disappearance of these giants is lack of food and competition with other animals. In addition, the cause of the extinction of the megalodon shark could have been global change climate. Why?
Cetaceans that inhabited the warm shallow waters of shelf seas were the basis of the diet of the megalodon monster shark. During the cooling period (in the Pliocene), the water was bound by glaciers, and the shelf seas disappeared. The water in the oceans became colder, which could not but affect the megalodons.
Experts call another likely reason for their extinction the appearance on the planet of toothed whales - the ancestors of today's killer whales. These animals had more developed brains and lived in large flocks. The huge size of megalodons did not allow them to maneuver in the water, so, most likely, they were attacked by killer whales.
Megalodon in the 21st century
It may seem incredible, but some scientists from different countries The world is convinced that the megalodon shark is not extinct, and its descendants still live on our planet today. In support of this statement, they cite some facts that seem controversial to the majority of the scientific world. They believe that due to the fact that no more than 10% of the world's oceans have been explored these days, it is possible that ancient sharks are hiding in yet unexplored parts.
In 2014, several orbital systems from several countries simultaneously recorded large underwater objects located at relatively shallow depths in the area of the island of Papua (New Guinea). These objects had a number of features:
- they did not have shapes and dimensions that would correspond to one or another military means;
- were not very active and periodically completely plunged into the ocean depths;
- they were too large for ordinary biological forms;
- lurked in the depths for a long time, which denies the version of their analogy with whales.
Scientists have come to the same opinion on this issue, although they express it rather cautiously: these unusual objects, in their behavior and shape, can be sharks of gigantic size. Nowadays, no great white shark has reached more than 16 meters in length. Therefore, with a high degree of probability, the discovered objects can be considered descendants of the megalodon shark. Moreover, they were found in Mariana Trench- places where ancient sharks supposedly lived.
In addition, paleontologists and ichthyologists discovered the remains of a predator that did not have time to completely fossilize. Supporters of the idea of preserving this giant believe that this shark can only live at great depths. It is supplied with oxygen by its gills, so it can be quite comfortable at great depths.
Death of large whales
Cases of deaths of very large whales in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans also support the controversial argument for the survival of megalodon. Several times a year, military and industrial sailors discover the bodies of dead whales surrounded by schools of sharks. Twice in similar situations, scientists were able to partially study these carcasses, determining the cause of death of the animals. And in both episodes, amazing reasons were discovered - the animals died from the bites of giant jaws.
The shapes of these bites corresponded to the structure of the shark's jaws, but had a slight difference - the third upper tooth did not belong to a white shark, it was identified as a tooth from the extinct megalodon shark.
- Whale shark Megalodon, before killing its prey, cut off its fin. This deprived the victim of the opportunity to escape.
- Computer simulations confirm scientists' theory that the hunting style of megalodon is strikingly different from modern white sharks.
- The classification of megalodon still causes a lot of discussion in the scientific community. Some of its representatives claim that the giant’s closest relative may well be the white shark, which has a similar body structure and some behavioral characteristics. Other paleontologists do not share this point of view. They claim that external resemblance megalodon and white shark is associated with evolutionary processes - the tendency of dissimilar organisms to acquire similar forms, developing in similar conditions.
- Megalodon teeth, as we have already said, were considered stones for a long time. Thousands of shark teeth fall out over the course of the lives of these predators, and new ones grow in their place. The teeth of this ancient shark were discovered around the world centuries ago. But it wasn't until the 17th century that physician Nicholas Steno identified the unusual sea stones as shark teeth. For this reason, some historians give Steno the title of the world's first paleontologist.
- Unlike most sharks, as well as marine reptiles of the Cenozoic and Mesozoic era whose habitat was limited coastlines or inland rivers and lakes of individual continents, megalodon was distributed globally, attacking and destroying whales in warm waters oceans almost all over the world. Researchers are confident that the only deterrent from adult individuals approaching the coastal zone was their huge size, making them completely helpless in shallow water.
- Although there are many versions, real reasons Megalodon extinctions are not known. It was the largest, ruthless and extremely dangerous apex predator of the Miocene and Pliocene eras. Perhaps these giant monsters destroyed by global cooling during the last ice age or the disappearance of the huge whales that formed the bulk of their diet.
- Megalodon had the most powerful bite force. In 2008, a team of scientists from the United States and Australia conducted computer simulations to determine the bite power of megalodon. The results amazed even experienced paleontologists. If a modern white shark is capable of clenching its jaws with a force of up to 1.8 tons, then the victims of the megalodon had to experience a bite with a force of 10.8 to 18.2 tons. This was quite enough to crush the skull of a huge prehistoric whale. This bite was significant stronger than the bite famous tyrannosaurus.
Let's sum it up
Giant shark left many secrets and mysteries that paleontologists have yet to solve. It is likely that scientists will be able to shed light on life mysterious predators and find out the reason for their disappearance. Perhaps the descendants of these sharks still live in the depths of the ocean today? Sooner or later, all these secrets will be revealed.