The result of the ongoing debate about whether Megalodon is alive or is it still a long historical past, today there can be an almost unequivocal answer - yes, the Megalodon shark is alive!
In addition, the opinions of scrupulous ichthyologists are increasingly inclined to the conclusion that soon a giant monster may appear on the surface in all its glory.
2014 - new facts-sensations
Every year, the "piggy bank" of meager and partly classified information about Megalodon is replenished with new discoveries in the study of its biology, and new facts of its discovery in the oceans.
Some of these episodes are filtered out at the stages of information verification, some remain inaccessible (due to various reasons, we will consider this in more detail), and some still seep into the public.
In other words, we can dispose of only a third of the data that neither the scientists themselves nor simple common sense reject.
Megalodon is alive: data from satellites
In the summer of 2014, several orbital complexes of a number of countries (which increases the chances of the veracity of the information) detected large underwater objects at shallow depths in the region of the Pacific island of Papua New Guinea.
These objects are:
- did not have dimensions and shapes corresponding to one or another underwater / surface military means;
- showed little activity, sometimes completely hiding in the ocean depths;
- were large for common biological forms;
- for a long time they could lurk at the depths, which denies their analogy with whales.
The opinions of scientists on this matter are identical: these unusual objects in terms of body shape and behavior are sharks, but very large sharks. Not a single individual over 16 meters. Namely, such "dimensional" data were recorded by instruments from space.
In addition, the place of discovery of these "super-sharks" is directly close to - the place of the alleged 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 sonar systems farther from the island of Papua, namely in the waters of the Philippines.
The military sailors noticed, however, that the mysterious stranger clearly "left" communication with them, also attempting to dive to very great depths.
The data on its parametric data coincided with the information of 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.
The comments of experts on underwater cases of a meeting of submarines and a discovered object similar to a living Megalodon are as follows:
- Sizes and shapes are quite suitable for the data of 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 survived today, including thanks to such a new quality for itself as caution, says Max Brut from the University of Florida. - Such a large predator today should be hidden "from prying eyes" not because he is weak or not hungry, but because this is a new round of his evolution.
The nature of Megalodon, of course, is being transformed under the modern conditions of ocean life. This is where the instinct of self-preservation kicks in.
Could Megalodon be alive if it remained at the same level of adaptive capabilities? No, of course not. I would not be surprised that if this super-predator is ever caught, then in its cranium we will find completely different brains of its ancient ancient relative.
You understand that the strongest survive, including if rationality is also 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 in most cases become effective.
What they had in common was:
- The proximity of water areas - all six episodes happened in the Pacific Ocean, in its western and southern parts at great depths.
- The hull of the watercraft was damaged - large crevices in the bottom or huge holes in the side parts.
- Attacks occurred either when a boat or ship removed gear with a catch, or when they were placed at certain points.
- In all cases, the attack was accompanied by the appearance of a large shark fin above the water, strong water disturbance, and in two cases, the death of crew members.
In one case, namely the episode of August 15, 2014 in the waters of Indonesia, a fishing schooner of a local registry was almost completely rammed by an underwater object. At the same time, 4 people from the team died.
Scientists who studied 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 (the impact force exceeded 17 tons).
However, it was not even these facts that led the scientific community to the unequivocal conclusion that this is Megalodon. Yet another piece of evidence has been discovered that casts aside any doubt as to whether Megalodon is alive or dead for millennia...
Watch video: Megalodon is alive - new evidence:
Important natural evidence for the existence of Megalodon
The cases of death of large whales both in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans also helped to publish this unequivocal natural "argument" in favor of the living Megalodon. Military and industrial sailors several times this year stumbled upon the bodies of dead whales, near which sharks circled.
In two cases, the situation allowed for partial examination of these carcasses for the cause of death. And in these two episodes, amazing data were discovered - both animals died from bites by huge jaws.
The forms of this bite were similar, with only a slight difference.
The top third tooth was not a great white shark.
It belonged to the Megalodon shark, which was thought to be extinct!
A few 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 proved its "failure" several times.
This time, the entire jaw of Megalodon was made up of real teeth that have been found all over the world. And it was the third upper tooth of his jaw that was the "main link".
In the white shark, it is located at an angle, but in Megalodon, it is at a right angle, this gives the appearance of the famous predator a different look.
Scientists have been putting together this "puzzle" for a long time, and now this tooth is the very strong evidence that Megalodon is alive. Otherwise, whose jaw traces were found both on ships and on whale carcasses?
Traces with a "straight" third tooth are an argument of nature itself.
We expect the appearance of Megalodon in the coming years
So, 2014, 2015 and 2016 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 - cautious, rational and purposeful.
We have received the real facts of his presence, we have part of the scientific research of the world's leading institutions.
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, to study it in laboratories.
There is not much left, nature does not stop in development, 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 that's why this information is hidden, what could be the reason for this concealment?
New facts, evidence, evidence of the existence of Megalodon, as well as detailed analysis sensational statements are available to you in the Analytical Department:
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The megalodon skeleton consisted of cartilage, not bones, so very few remains have survived to this day. Megalodon teeth are the largest fish teeth. Their length reached 18 cm. Among all known marine inhabitants, no one else has such huge teeth. The white shark has the most similar teeth, but they are much smaller (3 times). No complete skeleton was found, only vertebrae. The most famous find of a vertebral column belonging to a megalodon was made in Belgium in 1929.
Megalodon remains have been found all over the globe, even in the famous Mariana Trench at a depth of more than 10 km. The ubiquity suggests that it was a super predator that lived where it wanted and was everywhere at the top of the food chain.
Megalodon teeth are so huge that for a long time they were mistaken for the remains of dragons or giant sea serpents. It was not until 1667 that the naturalist Nils Stensen suggested that the dragon's "stone tongues" were the teeth of a huge shark. The predator took its position in the scientific classification in the middle of the 19th century. under the name Carcharodon megalodon. Since the teeth of the megalodon strongly resemble those of the Great White Shark, it was assigned to one genus. Carcharodon where he remained until the mid-1960s. First, the Belgian researcher E. Casier proposed to transfer the megalodon to a separate genus Procarcharodon, and then the Soviet scientist L. Glikman transferred the predator to the genus Megaselachus. However, Glickman drew attention to the fact that megalodon teeth are of 2 types - with jagged edges and without jagged edges. “Smooth” and “serrated” teeth until 1987 moved from one genus to another, until the French scientist and ichthyologist A Capetta assigned megalodon and its closest species neighbors (with serrated edges) to the genus Carcharocles megalodon. Currently, this classification is accepted by the scientific community.
Megalodon Dimensions
Most of all, the megalodon resembled a great white shark. Since a well-preserved skeleton has not been found, scientists can judge its size based on the morphology of the white shark and drawing parallels between animals. In total, there are several options for calculating the size of the megalodon. Most methods determine the length of an animal based on a calculated proportion between the predator's body and its teeth. Presumably, the body length of megalodon varied from 13 m (according to the method of J. E. Randall) to 16 m (method of Gottfried). Some scientists believe that the animal could reach even larger sizes - 25-30 m.
Body weight could reach 47 tons. This makes the megalodon the largest fish among all fish known to science.
Megalodon habits
The habits of megalodon are judged by the remains of its victims found, as well as by the habits of modern large carnivorous sharks. He hunted cetaceans, sperm whales, dolphins, porpoises, various pinnipeds. It was a superpredator, the victims of which could be any animals at all, although the size of the megalodon implies that he hunted large fish and mammals. The main diet was occupied by cetaceans - bones with traces of megalodon bites were often found among the fossil remains of whales. It is not difficult to determine the bite of a megalodon - it is of huge size and with characteristic scratches left by the jagged edges of sharp teeth. Sometimes scientists find whale bones with megalodon teeth stuck in them.
Usually sharks attack their prey in vulnerable places, but megalodon, apparently, acted a little differently. The remains of some of the megalodon victims showed that the predator rammed its prey. Scientists believe that this is how he broke bones and damaged internal organs victims. After that, the immobilized victim was devoured by a predator. Even if the prey of the megalodon was large, the shark always tried to first deprive it of the ability to move by biting its fins and tail, and after that it killed it and ate it.
Extinction
The reason for the extinction of the predator is not fully known. Scientists have several hypotheses for the extinction of the megalodon.
- Decrease in the temperature of the world's oceans. 15-17 million years ago, glaciation in the northern hemisphere and the blocking of the sea strait between North and South America led to a decrease in temperature on the planet. Growing glaciers also led to a drop in the water level of the world's oceans. Fossils confirm that with falling water levels and lower temperatures, the habitat of the megalodon has moved to warmer regions. Breeding and feeding grounds for giant sharks were also affected.
- Hunger. By the end of the Miocene, most species of baleen whales became extinct. Namely, baleen whales were the main diet of megalodon. The surviving species of whales were more adapted to the existing habitat conditions, were faster and preferred cool waters. It was difficult for the megalodon to hunt them, and there was no suitable prey to satisfy the colossal appetite.
- Competition with predatory whales. The emergence of flocking predatory mammals that successfully competed with megalodon. Famous killer whales turned out to be more successful hunters. They were faster, they hunted all large marine animals, and they themselves were practically invulnerable due to their great speed and quick wits.
Scientists believe that all three factors led to the death of the giant. The cooling of the ocean and the lack of food played a significant role in the death of the megalodon, and against this background, the newly appeared predators finally forced out the significantly thinned ranks of megalodons.
Megalodon is the subject of much speculation that it still exists in the deepest and most remote reaches of the world's oceans. Among the inhabitants, deep-sea depressions and trenches are considered almost the official homeland of the megalodon, and at the same time other sea giants, such as dunkleosteus. "Documentary" films are shot, photographs and stories of "eyewitnesses" are published. All these materials quickly become very popular among viewers and readers. But none of scientific institutes will never confirm the authenticity of such "facts". Officially, this predator is considered extinct. In the entire history of mankind, the remains of a megalodon were not found, the age of which would be younger than 1.5 million years. And it's just that this shark is too big to be invisible.
Although the official position of the scientific community does not stop the "researchers". Some even consider the results of a survey among students to be a convincing reason for the existence of a megalodon.
Unexplored corners of our planet - mountains, forests, seas and oceans - still hide a huge number of mysterious inhabitants. It is difficult to imagine what creatures lived long before the present, but, fortunately, numerous finds make it possible.
The ocean is the least explored part of the Earth. Unknown animals may be hiding under the water column. One of these animals was the megalodon.
First guesses
He is considered the largest shark, known science at present.
Great white shark tooth and fossilized megalodon tooth
The first find to confirm existence was teeth.
True, at first it was believed that these were petrified tongues of snakes or dragons. Only in 1667, N. Stensen from Denmark suggested that these were the teeth of a shark.
The year 1835 became famous for the fact that Lewis Agassiz, a Swiss naturalist, after writing a work on fossil fish, gave the scientific name of an ancient shark - Carcharodon megalodon.
Unfortunately, no complete megalodon skeleton has been found. Like all sharks, it consisted of cartilage, so it has not been preserved. Only fossilized teeth and vertebrae were found.
The age of the remains is 2.8 - 2.5 million years. It turns out that these sharks existed in the early Miocene - late Pliocene.
Unusual finds:
- Teeth. The most common finds of megalodon remains are teeth. Only the white shark, now living, has a similar structure. But the teeth of the ancient shark were much larger - at least 2-3 times, more powerful, stronger and had uniform notches. The shape of the teeth is triangular, or V-shaped. Diagonally, the size reached 18-19 cm. Remains were found all over the world giant fish: Europe, Africa, North and South America, Cuba, Jamaica, Japan, India and even in the Mariana Trench. The largest tooth was found in Peru - 19 cm, and in South Carolina - 18.4 cm.
- Vertebrae.In addition to teeth, researchers around the world have found megalodon vertebrae. In 1926, in Belgium, near Antwerp, a fragment was found consisting of 150 vertebrae, the diameter of which was up to 15.5 cm. In 1983, in Denmark, 20 vertebrae from 10 to 23 cm. In 2006, a spinal column with the largest vertebrae - up to 23 cm in diameter.
Body dimensions
No full-fledged remains, except for teeth and vertebrae, were found, therefore, to estimate the size of the megalodon, scientists are forced to resort to reconstructions, comparing it with a great white shark.
Comparative sizes: maximum and minimum size of megalodon, great white shark and human
- Bashford Dean, American Museum of Natural History, made the first attempt in the 1900s. The jaw recreated by him exceeded 3 meters, respectively, the body length of the fossil shark reached approximately 30 meters.
- J. E. Randall in 1973, conducting research, concluded that megalodon had a body up to 13 meters long.
- M. D. Gottfried and a group of scientists in 1996 reported that the body length was from 16 to 20 meters, and the weight reached 47 tons.
- Clifford Jeremy in 2002 checked the previously obtained data by comparing them with new calculations. It turned out that the length of the body was 16.5 meters.
- Catalina Pimento in 2013, analyzing the teeth found, received new results. The body length was 17.9 meters.
Jaw: structure and bite force
Megalodon jaw at Baltimore National Aquarium, Maryland, USA
In 1989, Japanese scientists described the preserved remains as having an almost complete set of teeth.
Megalodon had very strong teeth, the total number of which reached 276 pieces. They were arranged in 5 rows.
Paleontologists believe that the jaw length of the largest individuals reached 2 meters.
Despite their huge size, the teeth were very thin and had a small cutting edge.
The roots of the teeth were powerful relative to the overall height of the tooth.
Thanks to these teeth, the megalodon was able to open the chest or bite through the vertebrae of large animals without breaking, even if they cut into the bones.
S. Uro with a team of scientists conducted an experiment in 2008, the purpose of which was to determine the bite force of a megalodon.
Based on the results, it reached from 108.5 to 182 kN. These figures are much higher than the bite force of the dunkleosteus - 7.4 kN, the white shark - 18.2 kN. The closest indicators are for Deinosuchus - 103 kN, tyrannosaurus - 156 kN, Pliosaurus Funke - 150 kN.
Skeletal reconstruction
Research by scientists and attempts to reconstruct the megalodon body have allowed the scientific community to determine the skeletal structure.
Reconstructed megalodon skeleton at the Calvert Maritime Museum, Maryland, USA
All indicators are described in comparison with the great white shark: the skull was cartilaginous, but much thicker and more durable; fins - massive and thick for movement and control of a giant body; the number of vertebrae exceeded the number of other specimens.
Based on all the data obtained, Gottfried was able to reconstruct the complete skeleton of the megalodon: it came out 11.5 meters in length.
It turns out that megalodon is the largest of all existing fish. But such a large size of the body gave certain inconveniences to the prehistoric shark, namely:
- Gas exchange;
- Minimum stamina;
- Slow metabolism;
- Insufficiently active lifestyle.
Life and ways of hunting
The remains found indicate that he ate cetaceans - sperm whales, bowhead whales, cetotheres, dolphins, porpoises, sirens, sea turtles.
A large number of the bones of whales found to date have clear marks of deep scratches, as if from large teeth.
Scientists are sure that these are megalodon teeth marks. Moreover, next to such remains, as a rule, were the teeth themselves.
All sharks on the hunt use a complex strategy. But the megalodon was an exception in this: due to the size of the body, he could not develop high speed, had a limited stamina.
Most likely, he hunted, using exclusively ambushes, waiting for the approach of prey.
There are versions that he could go to the ram, then killed and ate the victim.
B. Kent believes that, having such huge teeth, the ancient fish tried to break bones in order to damage the vital organs in the chest.
Causes of extinction
The megalodon shark became extinct 3 million years ago. There are several reasons.
- According to scientists, the reason for the disappearance of these large predators – competition with other animals during food shortages.
- global climate change. Their main food was small cetaceans, which inhabited the warm shallow waters of the shelf seas. Maybe, huge fish lived around the same place. At the moment of cooling in the Pliocene, glaciers bound the water, forcing the shelf seas to disappear. The water in the oceans became colder, which affected both the megalodons and their prey.
- The emergence of toothed whales- ancestors of modern killer whales. They had more developed brain and led a secluded life. Due to their huge size, megalodons could not swim maneuverably, therefore, most likely, they were attacked by killer whales.
Megalodon in the 21st century
Some scientists are convinced that he lives to this day. In favor this fact they give completely unthinkable arguments that do not stand up to scrutiny.
First, they say, only 5% of the world's oceans have been explored. Perhaps ancient sharks may be hiding in unexplored parts.
Secondly, there are several pictures that show fragments of the body of a megalodon. However, all this has been refuted, and at the moment, the world scientific community is absolutely sure that this species is extinct.
I'll start busting the myths right away.
How many videos have I watched, where the authors of scientific channels put up false fake videos about the existing megalodon shark, and the joke is that all their materials about the living megalodon are fake, straight to the point of laughter: in one crooked editing, in the other there are documentaries - a frame is taken, etc.
But many believe, because these are channels about science and animals. But they themselves do not think and do not look for facts and evidence.
Well, take for example a couple of fresh videos from 2018, where the debate about whether the megalodon is alive, or whether this ancient prehistoric predator died out 30 million years ago, does not subside. And in all the videos, the answer is unequivocal: yes, the megalodon shark is alive and lives somewhere in the depths of the world ocean.
That is, it seems like a cool scientific channel, but everything eventually rolls down to the level - the megalodon is alive, period. And the facts and evidence are sucked from the finger.
Do you know where all this rustle with a live giant shark came from? After the release of two films from Discovery. The first video is "Megalodon - Monster Shark Lives" and the second is "Megalodon - New Evidence".
These pseudo-documentary videos convinced 70 percent of viewers that the megalodon still exists in the ocean.
Now I will not dwell on the analysis of these films, since all the material shown there as evidence that the megalodon is alive is a fake, and a fake of not the best quality. Megalodon fake.
This has even been proven by critics before me.
We will analyze a completely different side of the issue - why the megalodon cannot live in the modern ocean and has long since died out. And there are three main reasons for this.
Fact and Proof #1 - Megalodon Physiology and Modern Ocean Climate
First, the Megalodon Carcharodon does not exist. It's 2018 in the yard - scientists have long ceased to consider megalodon as a relative of the great white shark.
Now scientists claim that this is a representative of the genus Otodus, belonging to the family Otodontidae, that is, its correct name is Otodus megalodon (Otodus megalodon) and outwardly it looked more like a sand shark. This is covered in this video:
He was a slow cold-blooded animal and, in principle, could not be an active warm-blooded hunter, at least at the level of a white shark.
I repeat - the fault of all this is the huge size of the giant prehistoric shark and gill breathing, which is not able to provide the body of the megalodon with a large amount of oxygen.
Let's think: after all, in order to simply live and breathe, the megalodon with its huge size needs oxygen-enriched water and always warm water, so that it somehow contributes to the increase in the shark's metabolism.
So, during the existence of Mega there was no Isthmus of Panama. It is a land connection between North and South America. Just because in those days there was no Isthmus of Panama, oxygen-rich cold currents mixed with warm water and megalodons lived in clover.
In those days, the waters along the equator were not only warm, but also rich in oxygen. They provided small
cetaceans with plankton, and the megalodon, which fed on these cetaceans, provided oxygen and the heat necessary to raise the level of substances.
So, logically, it was a real paradise for a giant slow-moving carrion-eating shark.
Fake video of 2018: Megalodon is alive - TOP-5 video evidence of the existence of the largest shark on the planet
But only in our time, the cold currents are blocked just by this isthmus of Panama, and the warm waters are poor in oxygen, which is so necessary for the large megalodon shark.
Scientists know that even whale sharks (10-20 meters in length) avoid equatorial waters because they cannot breathe normally in them.
So here's a question for you readers - what would a megalodon do if it found itself in the modern ocean, where warm waters are poor in oxygen?
Surely you will say that the megalodon went into cold waters, where its metabolic rate would have become even lower.
Another video of false evidence that megalodons live today:
Fact & Proof #2 That Megalodon Didn't Survive - Lack of Food
The next problem for the giant shark is that there is no suitable food for the megalodon in the modern ocean. Judge for yourself - at one time megalodon existed along with a large number of small baleen whales, which were usually no larger than 2-4 meters in length.
These whales fed on plankton and there were a lot of them, and if there are a lot of them, then this means that these small whales regularly died from old age, disease, competition with each other, or due to attacks by predatory whales.
And who ate their corpses? That's right - their corpses were eaten by megalodon.
Then you ask - what, megalodon could not hunt live baleen whales? He is a super predator, the most dangerous of all the ancient predators on the planet!
No, giant megalodon sharks could not hunt live and healthy whales due to their slowness and passivity.
How do I know they attacked live small whales? Yes, because there is simply no evidence that he attacked live whales - teeth marks on bones with traces of healing, or something else.
The only thing is only finds of whales with traces of a ram. Although scientists suggest that this is most likely the result of the struggle of male baleen whales for females. Well, why would a megalodon hunt them? Dead bodies were enough for him: there were usually a lot of them.
Then, after the formation of this isthmus of Panama, everything changed - small whales went into cold waters, and in order not to freeze, they began to increase in size.
They got smaller, but they got bigger. We all know that big whales are even faster and stronger than small ones. For example, a blue whale can accelerate to 50 kilometers per hour, while scientists estimate the maximum speed of megalodon at 8 kilometers per hour. Because of which, the megalodon would have no chance of hunting them.
At the same time, there are fewer large whales in the ocean than small ones. They die less often and produce less carrion. And again, the question is: what would a megalodon do if it were in the modern ocean with such whales?
The answer is simple - the megalodon simply could not find food for itself and would die without finding carrion.
Another fake video from 2018 - 10 megalodons filmed on a video camera:
Fact & Proof #3 That Megalodon Is Extinct - Competition
In the Miocene and Pliocene, the megalodon had few enemies. There were only small predatory sperm whales that ventured
hurt your teeth and such a big shark alone.
There may be a huge melvin leviathan and could hunt adult megalodons, but the cubs of the ancient monster hid in the shallow waters in the area around South America where they were always safe.
But at the end of the Pliocene, predatory sperm whales began to be replaced by more versatile, intelligent and agile killer whales. No one conquered the world's oceans the way the killer whale did.
An almost flawless predator machine, the killer whale can surpass any other not only in strength, but also in intelligence.
animal. Taking teamwork to an astounding level, killer whales demonstrate some of the most daring hunting strategies in the animal kingdom.
In general, the modern killer whale is one of the most versatile super predators in history, eating any marine prey from herring to adult sperm whales and blue whales, hunting both in the open sea and in shallow water, as well as in cold water as well as warm.
Some killer whales specialize in feeding on sharks, they prey on giant whale sharks, almost
comparable in size to megalodon. And even a single female killer whale can kill a great white shark of her size.
Well, think about it, did the megalodon have protection in order to avoid attacks by killer whales? Moreover, after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, megalodons had no places left where they could hide and hide their cubs.
Do not believe this video is a hoax: 5 cases when a megalodon was caught on camera
Conclusion: Is the ancient megalodon shark alive or extinct?
To summarize: it turns out that in the modern ocean, the megalodon would have suffocated, froze, starved to death, could not find a safe place for its cubs, or simply been eaten by killer whales.
Think about it, could he live in our time? Will new high-profile headlines like “2018 - Megalodon caught on camera” or “New evidence of megalodon appearance in 2019” appear.
But do not take for the true truth everything that is said in this article. You have to get to the bottom of the truth yourself by analyzing the facts, research and scientific evidence.
Undoubtedly, there is a possibility that the megalodon is alive, because only 5 percent of the entire world's oceans have been studied by mankind. Yes, the depths still hide many types of coelenterates, luminous squids, and relic bony fish like coelacanths.
But think about whether giant animals the size of whale sharks can go unnoticed, especially since at the time of their existence there were a lot of megalodons, since they did not need much food.
And in our time, most likely, they would also begin to actively multiply and we would notice them.
See, any of you can disprove the existence of the megalodon. It is only necessary to study the facts and question the evidence of the video, which depicts a live "Megalodon" shark.
Do you think the megalodon is alive or extinct? Is it floating somewhere in the Mariana Trench now?
Leave comments, share this information, defend your point of view!
Video - Mariana Trench home of unknown creatures
Don't believe this video either - Megalodon. Lord of the Seas (2017)
The megalodon shark, whose photos are often published by publications for naturalists, was one of the largest and most dangerous underwater predators. For more than 14 million years, she has been the full ruler of the seas and oceans of our planet. However, almost 1.6 million years ago, the huge Megalodon shark mysteriously disappeared. Only its younger and smaller relative, the white shark, remained on Earth, which even today evokes mixed feelings - admiration, curiosity, fear.
External features
A wide skull, short snout and huge jaws - the giant predator looked like a huge pig. Interestingly, the skeleton of the megalodon shark did not consist of bones, but of cartilage. Large teeth have long been mistaken for the bones of large dragons or snakes.
Reconstructions
Unfortunately, the full-fledged remains of an ancient shark have not been preserved in the world, with the exception of teeth and vertebrae. For this reason, it is possible to judge how the megalodon shark looked like only by the reconstructions of this creature, which scientists resort to, comparing the ancient predator with the 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 number.
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 concluded that the ancient shark megalodon 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) preferred to eat larger prey due to its gigantic size, incredibly strong and powerful jaws and teeth. The discovered remains give scientists reason to assert that ancient predators fed on cetaceans - bowhead whales, sperm whales, dolphins, cetotheres, sirens, 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. The researchers are sure that such traces were left by the teeth of the megalodon. Moreover, along with many of these remains, the teeth themselves were found.
Hunting
As a rule, sharks are predators using a complex hunting strategy. Megalodon was an exception in this sense: due to the gigantic size of the body, he was not able to develop too high speed, his endurance was rather limited. The researchers are sure that the megalodon shark hunted using ambushes, patiently waiting for the approach of the victim. Versions are put forward that this predator could go to the ram, and then he killed and ate the prey. B. Kent is sure that such large and powerful teeth of an 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 consider the lack of food and competition with other animals to be the main reason for the disappearance of these giants. In addition, the reason for the extinction of the megalodon shark could be global change climate. Why?
Cetaceans that inhabited the warm shallow waters of the shelf seas were the basis of the diet of the monster shark megalodon. During the period of cooling (in the Pliocene), the water was bound by glaciers, and the shelf seas disappeared. In the oceans, the water became colder, which could not but affect the megalodons.
Another probable reason for their extinction, experts call the appearance of toothed whales on the planet - the ancestors of the current killer whales. These animals had a more developed brain and lived in large flocks. The huge size of megalodons did not allow them to maneuver in the water, therefore, most likely, they were attacked by killer whales.
Megalodon in the 21st century
It may seem incredible, but some scientists from different countries world are convinced that the megalodon shark has not died out, and its descendants still live on our planet today. In support of this assertion, they cite some facts that seem controversial to the main part of the scientific world. They believe that due to the fact that no more than 10% of the world's oceans have been explored today, ancient sharks may be hiding in as yet unexplored parts.
In 2014, several orbital complexes from several countries at once recorded large underwater objects located at relatively shallow depths near 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 too active and periodically completely immersed in the ocean depths;
- they were too large for ordinary biological forms;
- for a long time they hid in the depths, which denies the version of their analogy with whales.
Scientists have come to an identical opinion on this issue, although they express it rather cautiously: these unusual objects in their behavior and shape can be gigantic sharks. Today, not a single 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. In addition, they were discovered near the Mariana Trench, a place where ancient sharks supposedly lived.
In addition, paleontologists and ichthyologists have discovered the remains of a predator that did not have time to fully fossilize. Adherents of the idea of \u200b\u200bpreserving this giant believe that this shark can only live at great depths. The gills supply it with oxygen, so it can be quite comfortable at great depths.
The death of large whales
In favor of the ambiguous argument in favor of the preserved megalodon, there are also cases of the death of very large whales in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Several times a year, military and industrial sailors discover the bodies of dead whales that are surrounded by flocks of sharks. Twice in similar situations, scientists managed to partially study these carcasses, determining the cause of death of 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 jaws of the shark, but had a slight difference - the third upper tooth did not belong to the white shark, it was identified as the tooth of the extinct megalodon shark.
- The megalodon whale shark cut off its fin before killing its prey. This made it impossible for the victim to escape.
- Computer simulations confirm scientists' theory that the hunting style of megalodon is strikingly different from modern white sharks.
- The classification of the megalodon still causes a lot of discussion in the scientific community. Some of its representatives argue that the closest relative of the giant may well be a white shark, which has a similar body structure and some behavioral features. Other paleontologists do not share this view. They argue that the external similarity of the megalodon and the white shark is associated with evolutionary processes - the tendency of heterogeneous organisms to acquire similar forms, developing in similar conditions.
- Megalodon teeth, as we have said, have long been considered stones. Thousands of shark teeth fall out during the lives of these predators, and new ones grow in their place. The teeth of this ancient shark have been discovered around the world centuries ago. But it was not until the 17th century that the physician Nicholas Steno identified the unusual sea rocks as shark teeth. For this reason, some historians give Steno the title of the first paleontologist in the world.
- Unlike most sharks, as well as marine reptiles of the Cenozoic and Mesozoic era, whose habitat was limited to the coastlines or inland rivers and lakes of individual continents, the megalodon was distributed globally, attacking and destroying whales in the warm waters of the oceans almost all over the world. The researchers are confident that the only deterrent to approaching the coastal zone of adults was their huge size, making them completely helpless in shallow water.
- Despite the fact that there are many versions, the true causes of the extinction of the megalodon are not known. It was the largest, ruthless and extremely dangerous apex predator of the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. Perhaps these giant monsters were killed by global cooling during the last ice age or the disappearance of the huge whales that made up the bulk of their diet.
- Megalodon had the most powerful bite force. In 2008, a team of scientists from the US and Australia ran computer simulations to determine the bite power of a megalodon. The results have amazed even experienced paleontologists. If the modern white shark is able to clench its jaws with a force of up to 1.8 tons, then the victims of the megalodon had to experience a bite with a power of 10.8 to 18.2 tons. This was quite enough to crush the skull of a huge prehistoric whale. Such a bite was much stronger than the bite of the famous tyrannosaurus rex.
Summing up
The giant shark has left many secrets and mysteries that paleontologists have yet to unravel. It is likely that scientists will be able to shed light on the life of mysterious predators and find out the reason for their disappearance. Perhaps the descendants of these sharks live in the depths of the ocean today? Sooner or later, all these secrets will be revealed.
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