Megalodon

### Attributes

Similar to a great white shark, only much larger; immense size, largest shark as well as carnivorous animal of all time; buccal pumping; massively powerful jaws (strongest bite force of any animal); powerful senses; abnormally dense cartilage; large, sharp, serrated teeth; incredible speed & agility for size; stealthy, despite large size; colossal strength; wide mouth

## Biography

### Locations

Worldwide; all oceans

***Megalodon*** (name meaning "*Big Tooth*"), or simply the ***Meg*** for short, is a genus of enormous prehistoric mackerel shark that originated during the Early Miocene epoch in every ocean on Earth. Measuring 23 meters long, weighing over 70 tons, and famous for its massive jaws, large teeth, and relation to the great white shark, *Megalodon* was the largest shark, as well as carnivorous animal, of all time.

In the Series 3 episode "***Into the Mega Jaws of Death***," a pregnant female *Megalodon* named Meg was brought to the park from Middle Miocene Peru 15 million years ago. She reside in the Marine Enclosure. She eventually gave birth to two pups which where moved to seperate enclosures.

## Facts

### Era & Discovery

*Megalodon* first appeared during the Early Miocene around 23 million years ago and lived through to the Early Pleistocene, around 2 million years ago. The apex predator of the seas during its day, these sharks dominated every ocean on the planet for over 20 million years, earning the title of undisputed "*Lord and Master of the Sea*". Having shared its environment with many other marine animals at the time, *Megalodon* hunted a range of giants, such as whales, giant squid, and other large sharks. Their extinction was caused by Ice Age climate changes. As the Ice Age began, the whale's *Megalodon* preyed on migrated to colder waters, where the shark could not follow. As a result, *Megalodon* was doomed into extinction by hunger.

*Megalodon* was first discovered by Louis Agassiz in 1835. Since then, fossilized teeth of *Megalodon* have been found around the world. From their distribution, it is possible to see that *Megalodon* preferred tropical and temperate seas, and did not stray into cold waters. It could, however, live many kilometers from the coast in the open ocean. Other than its teeth, few parts of its body are known. However, some paleontologists and other scientists believe that *Megalodon* could still be alive today in the 21st century, surviving in the deepest waters. Additionally, *Megalodon* has also become some of the most famous prehistoric creatures in the world.

### Physical Description

The largest predatory fish ever discovered, *Megalodon* was also the largest shark ever to roam the seas, larger than a whale shark as well as rivaling, if not surpassing, the size of theropod dinosaurs like *Spinosaurus*, *Giganotosaurus*, and even *Tyrannosaurus* as well as other giant sea monsters, such as *Livyatan*, Pliosaurs, and even Mosasaurs. On average, *Megalodon* measured over 50 – 60 feet (15 – 18 m) long and weighed more than 50 – 60 tons (100,000 – 120,000 lb). However, some rare colossal specimens have been discovered to have grown between 70 – 100 feet (21 – 30 m) in length and weighed as much as 70 – 150 tons (154,000 – 330,000 lb). This makes *Megalodon* the largest carnivorous animal that had ever existed.

*Megalodon* were basically gigantic great white sharks, therefore being an ancestor to the great white. As such, they had the same overall physical appearance; a streamlined, muscular body with a 6 – 8 ft (2 – 2.5 m) tall dorsal fin, large pectoral fins, and a large and powerful caudal fin but its anal fins were small; hard ferrous gray colored skin on top and creamy, ghostly white on the bottom (most likely to serve as camouflage), only *Megalodon* was well over three to five times the size. By the time an adolescent *Megalodon* reached three years of age, they could have measured just over 20 feet (6.1 m) long and weighed at least 2.5 tons (5,000 lb), the size of many great white sharks today. Full-grown *Megalodon* grew over 20 times the weight of juveniles.

*Megalodon* was an immensely powerful predator, capable of making high-speed attack runs. Like all sharks, *Megalodon* swam in a side-to-side motion. Despite its colossal size and robust appearance, *Megalodon* was also a very fast swimmer, capable of reaching speeds as fast as 15 – 34 mph (13 – 30 knots) and moving over a fairly long distance. Its mouth could open to around 8 – 11 feet (2.7 – 3.4 m) wide, revealing a set of giant, sharp, serrated teeth measuring 5 – 9 inches (12.7 – 22.86 cm) long within a pair of massive jaws could deliver a crippling bite. *Megalodon* is estimated to have a massively powerful bite force of around 20 tons (44,000 lb) psi, more than powerful enough to slice, bite, and cut through the toughest flesh and bone. In other words, *Megalodon* had the most powerful bite force in all of the animal kingdom.

### Behavior & Traits

*Megalodon* were solitary animals as they were large enough to hunt game independently. As essentially giant great white sharks, *Megalodon* behaved the same way. For instance, much like young great whites, juvenile *Megalodon* preferred to live in shallow waters closer to shore and away from adults, who hunted large prey in the open oceans. While it was partially for their own safety, they also fed on different and smaller species of prey. *Megalodon* juveniles were not large enough to attack the large whales. Their teeth are usually found in shallow waters, suggesting that they lived inshore. There, they mainly hunted large fish and smaller marine mammals, such as *Odobenocetops*. A fully grown *Megalodon* would hunt larger whales, even ones the size of a blue whale. *Megalodon* preyed on the dolphins and large whales that lived in deep offshore waters. It would cruise around, waiting for one of them to surface.

But whether juveniles or adults, *Megalodon* had the same hunting strategies as modern great white sharks. Once they locked onto their prey, because they didn't want their prey to attack them back, these giant and powerful sharks would come up from underneath their prey, swimming vertically upwards at speed. At the last moment, the giant jaws would open and the teeth would be rammed into the prey, tearing out large chunks of its flesh and landing devastating attacks. As relatives of great white sharks, the juvenile *Megalodon*, therefore, attacked their prey in an identical way. However, when adult *Megalodon* hunted, they swam bellow further into the deep, dark oceans in order for them to gain more momentum. Once done, they swam incredibly fast directly towards the surface to their prey and struck with intensely powerful force. On its initial attack run, *Megalodon* would probably go for vulnerable parts of the body, such as the flippers and tail. This would immediately cripple their prey so that it couldn't swim away or dive downwards. *Megalodon's* teeth would often fall out during these attacks, but new ones would grow in their place.

A special adaptation that *Megalodon* evolved was a protective membrane which was located at the back of its eyes. When attacking its prey, it would roll its eyes to reveal the membrane. The sight would not be necessary for an attack as its sense of smell would steer it towards its prey. *Megalodon's* sense of smell was incredibly powerful, they could detect blood from miles away. *Megalodon* was a species of shark that evolved to literally attack and prey upon living whales, even very large ones. No matter the size or the species of whale, *Megalodon* was a whale killer.

## Prehistoric Earth: A Natural History

### Series 3

*Megalodon* made its debut in *Into the Mega Jaws of Death* when Allen, Rebecca, and company traveled back in time 15 million years ago to Peru, South America during the Middle Miocene epoch. Before risking a dive with an adult *Megalodon*, they wanted to start with juveniles. Allen and Rebecca dove into shallow waters, first encountering a 6 m (20 ft) juvenile Megalodon when it swam above the pair and an *Odobenocetops* who was foraging for oysters in some kelp. By taking cover in the foliage, they were able to avoid being caught by the shark. Later, Allen, Rebecca, and the crew crafted a model *Odobenocetops* and filled it with squid to entice an adolescent *Megalodon*. With the camera fitted into the model, it was able to capture the moment when an adolescent *Megalodon* accelerated from the depths and tore the model apart.

## Journal Entry

*Often called the "Great Shark" by some or the "Tyrannosaurus rex of the Sea" by others, Megalodon (or the Meg for short) is easily the true monarch of the ocean. Essentially looking like a giant great white shark, Megalodon was more than three times the size of the largest great white discovered - a shark large enough to attack and prey on whales (regardless of what species or how large), thus being dubbed "The Whale Killer".*
*Armed with 9-inch long, triangular-shaped serrated teeth in its 11 foot wide mouth, Megalodon possessed the most powerful bite force in the animal kingdom, exceeding that of Tyrannosaurus. Despite its enormous size, Megalodon was relatively fast, able to move at speeds of around 50 mph.* All these attributes make Megalodon not only the largest shark of all time, but also by far the largest and most powerful carnivorous animal the world has ever seen.
*The unequalled apex predator of its time, Megalodon roamed every ocean on Earth for over 20 million years and had nothing to fear, having no rivals or natural predators during its time, save for only larger Megalodon. If Jaws was the Devil, The Meg is death with a wide open mouth. Thought to have gone extinct during the Ice Age, some scientists believe Megalodon could still be alive today, living in the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.*

## Trivia

* *Megalodon* is the largest shark brought to the park and the last prehistoric sea creature brought back.