Discover the Truth About One of Earth’s Largest Apex Predators
The mighty Megalodon Shark is the stuff nightmares are made of. As one of the biggest ocean-dwelling predators to ever inhabit the earth, the Megalodon inspires fear, awe, and imagination.
It also brings up questions about just how big this shark was, and whether or not there’s a change that this mighty beast still lurks the depths of oceans around the world.
Megalodon Size: Just How Big Was This Shark?
Turns out, pretty darn big. Based on weight, the Megalodon clocks in as the largest predator in Earth’s history. Although measuring in a tad longer in feet, even the giant Sperm Whale falls short on the scale when we take into consideration total weight of these beasts.
However, the size of the Megalodon has been an area of contention for decades, with size estimates evolving over time as scientists uncovered more information.
What Makes Determining Megalodon’s Size so Challenging?
Sharks are notoriously difficult to study for one reason: their skeletons are made of cartilage. In many species, including our own, cartilage serves as a type of connective tissue, acting in a supportive fashion and providing functional purposes throughout our nose, ears, lungs, spine, bones, and joints.
However, in sharks, their entire skeleton is made from cartilage. Unlike bone, cartilage does not fossilize. This leaves researchers with very little forensic information to go off of, with the vast majority of fossils from the Megalodon including only teeth.
As you might imagine, it’s difficult to ascertain with any level of certainty the size of a creature by its teeth alone.
That said, scientists have done their best to come up with an accurate animal model. Today, the scientifically accepted estimation regarding Megalodon size puts a size limit at around 60-70 ft., and a weight of between 50-70 tons.
Not only does this make the Megalodon the largest shark ever to hunt the deep blue sea, but also one of the largest fish ever to live.
For reference, let’s see how that stacks up against the Great White. Great White Sharks typically reach a maximum size of only 21ft and a poultry 3 and ½ tons. That makes the Great White nearly snack-sized for the massive Megalodon.
How Large Are Megalodon Teeth?
One aspect of the Megalodon that makes it so ominous is the sheer size of a Megalodon tooth. Its one thing to be hunted by a monster, but another altogether when that monster is outfitted with massive razer sharp teeth to chomp down with.
Interestingly enough, the word ‘megalodon’ can be translated to mean ‘large tooth’, an apt name for this ocean-bound beast. According to data on record, megalodon teeth can reach up to 18 centimeters long.
How Big Was Megalodon’s Mouth?
Not only was this apex predator massive, it had a mouth to go along with it. With prey ranging as large as whales, the megalodon had to open up wide.
Estimations put its mouth at between 8.9 feet to 11.2 feet wide (whoa). That’s large enough to gobble down two adult humans side by side.
More than that, this massive jaw-span was lined with 276 serrated teeth, with a predicted bite force of nearly 108,514 and 182,201 Newtons (N). For comparison, a Great White Shark only has a bite force of around 18,216N.
Megalodon’s Storied Past
The earliest fossils on record for the Megalodon date back some 20 million years ago. Since its emergence into existence, the massive Megalodon thrived for nearly 13 million years, dominating oceans around the world until its eventual extinction just 3.6 million years ago.
What Did the Massive Megalodon Eat?
Given its large serrated teeth, the Megalodon was no doubt a carnivore, feasting on its prey. Speaking of prey, it is believed that Megalodon most probably ate dolphins and other large fish, whales, and even other sharks.
The feeding habits of this beast can be garnered from the fossil records of other fish and marine life, bearing the telltale marks of Megalodon teeth etched in the surface of fossils. Notably, some of these fossils even had broken off tips of Megalodon teeth in them. We can only imagine the type of feeding frenzy that caused such a scene.
How Big Was the Megalodon Shark? Pretty Darn Big
As one of the world’s largest apex predators to ever exist, the mighty Megalodon measured in at a size we’ve yet since to see (thank goodness).
Having gone extinct nearly 3.6 million years ago, it wasn’t that long ago in the earth’s history that this fearsome monster hunted the deep blue ocean.
