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Ancient megalodon shark. Giant extinct megalodon shark

Megalodon is the largest shark on Earth in the entire history of its existence. People discovered the giant teeth of this shark back in ancient times.

They considered them to be the teeth of huge, terrible dragons that previously inhabited the planet. Already in the 17th century, people began to have a more realistic attitude towards legends and legends, and some scientists put forward the version that these huge teeth belonged to a shark that lived in the World Ocean millions of years ago.

This giant predator was called megalodon. This shark lived (judging by the geological deposits in which teeth were found) presumably 1.5-25 million years ago. The cause of the death of megalodons was the general cooling that occurred on Earth.

Megalodon belongs to the family of cartilaginous fish, so its skeleton cannot be detected, because cartilage tissue decomposes faster than bone tissue. Scientists find only individual vertebrae and teeth. And from such meager fragments it is difficult to recreate a realistic picture. People have always had a rich imagination, therefore, identifying megalodon with a white shark, they have developed approximate image this sea monster. A model of a megalodon is exhibited in the US state of Maryland at the Annapolis Oceanographic Museum.

The megalodon shark is the predecessor of modern sharks.

What did the fossil shark look like?

This predatory fish was much larger in size than a white shark. The body length of the megalodon was 30 meters, and it weighed 60 tons.

Some scientists believe that these sharks were more modest in size; they claim that the body length was approximately 22 meters and they weighed about 50 tons. But even these sizes are very impressive.

Scientists calculated these parameters based on the correspondence between the length of the teeth and the length of the body. In this case, the sample was taken White shark. Today, the prevailing version is that the length of the fossil predator averaged 15-18 meters. If this predator had big sizes, then he would have difficulties with food. That is, these sharks would eat all living things and die themselves.

The average length of a megalodon tooth is 15 centimeters, thickness - 2.5 centimeters, and width - 10 centimeters. For comparison, the dimensions of a white tooth are as follows: length – 5 centimeters, thickness – 0.6 millimeters, width – 2.5 centimeters. Judging by these sizes, you can imagine how huge this fossil fish was.

What was the lifestyle of megalodon?

As for the speed at which these sharks swam, scientists do not have exact data. But many are of the opinion that these giants could reach speeds of 70 kilometers per hour. That is, in terms of speed characteristics, megalodons also had no competitors in the World Ocean.

This shark hunted mainly for whales. However, they managed to survive because they are better adapted to cold climates; they can live freely in cold waters. Whales feel comfortable in the oceans of the northern and south poles, and this shark is a heat-loving shark, so it could not survive such a cold snap.

Other scientists believe that the death of the megalodon is due to the appearance of killer whales in the World Ocean.

We have already briefly analyzed the main “parameters” of the life of Megalodon based on scientific and research data that were at our disposal - nutrition, anatomy, biological features, etc.

Of course main question about Megalodon – its localization, i.e. the place of his supposed habitat.

Ancient sharks activate

First, let's look at the panorama of the discovery of ancient or rare species sharks for Lately in the World Ocean.

more and more often information is coming about the capture of ancient goblin sharks near the mainland of Australia;
scientists found 2 rare specimens of largemouth sharks (in Japan in May 2014 and in the Philippines in January 2015);
prehistoric frilled sharks caught off the coast of Australia in January and February.

Let us immediately note the geographic location of the appearance of individuals of these shark species.

Now let's take a look at the cases of representatives of "food attractiveness" washed up on the shore for sharks - seals, fur seals, lions, dolphins and even the sharks themselves.

Several similar events occurred in the first months of 2015.:

in Australia, a pack of 51 fur seals washed ashore;
about 200 dolphins washed ashore in New Zealand;
in the USA (Southern California), 223 sea lions were found washed up on the coast;
appears again later New Zealand– about 200 whales washed ashore;
the paradoxical discovery of a 4-meter great white shark on the coast of Greece.

Of course, such cases of suicide are phenomena that are periodically repeated and, in principle, not yet precisely explained by scientists.

There is talk about mysterious diseases that struck at the same time different kinds marine animals, loss of orientation, unknown viruses and other assumptions.

However, researchers studying the biology of life of Megalodons and other ancient animals can offer their own unexpected interpretation on this issue! Namely: all episodes of beaching were provoked by the activity of Megalodon!

As arguments, experts suggest paying attention to tests taken from affected animals. In all cases, the blood of the victims was oversaturated with adrenaline! Hormone of fear!

Moreover, according to the rescuers themselves, the frightened animals did not want to return to the ocean, making attempts to return to land again when they were dragged into the water during rescue operations.

By the way, there were no signs of injuries or bites on the bodies of mammals in these particular incidents, which allows assumptions that Megalodon (or several of its individuals) either did not attack them at all, or killed them accurately and immediately, without giving the victim the opportunity to leave. This often happens in shark attacks, when the predator, after the first tooth test, either completely eats the victim or loses interest in it.

Consequently, the flocks of these suicidal animals washed ashore were not even driven by the fear of becoming hunted more than large predator, but an instinctive desire to leave the territory of his hunt at any cost.

White sharks or young Megalodons? Giant sharks killed a pod of killer whales
(New Zealand)

So, back to geography. Previously, we assumed that the place of modern existence of Megalodon sharks is the Mariana Trench, which was indicated by a number of reasons, including the peculiarities of its feeding.

Looking at the map, we will find that the Mariana Trench is surrounded by Japan, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

Based on the localization of the appearance of ancient sharks and episodes of animal releases, as an indirect assumption of their reaction to the appearance of a huge predator, it is this geographical contour that is the most likely place for the appearance of the prehistoric Megalodon shark.

Australia - nursery for young Megalodons

At first glance, it looks strange that Megalodon ignores seals, lions, seals, etc., which are valuable in terms of nutritional value.

It is surprising that this giant managed to avoid bleeding at all in the ocean near its habitat, although several cases did occur.

We know practically nothing about this great predator, and, most likely, in the near future some amazing discovery of the features of its existence will again await us.

For analysis, let's take his life close relative– Carcharodon. Often in episodes of shark attacks on people, incidents occurred when the victim of the attack “got off with fright” or very minor injuries, although he was too accessible and, according to the logic of such situations, should not have remained alive.

Then experts said that a baby shark took part in the attack, which had not yet acquired the skills of a competent attack or was just learning to hunt.

Scientists currently know the places of birth and maturation of young individuals of Carcharodon, which are entire shark nurseries - water areas with relatively shallow depth and current, which are characterized by abundant biocenosis and the absence of natural enemies.

One such nursery for the great white shark is coastal zone in the state of New South Wales in Australia. Regularly once a year, female white sharks appear in this water area to hatch young sharks.

Perhaps the zone we noted above precisely belongs to this category of kindergarten, but only for Megalodon.

Here we invite readers to turn to the map again and include another position in consideration - the Isthmus of Panama.

It’s interesting, but when the hypothesis about a manger for a historical monster was still only timidly expressed, it unexpectedly found counter confirmation for the researchers themselves. The fact is that at the bottom of Lake Gatun, in the Isthmus of Panama, significant - a large number of well preserved teeth.

Of course, the teeth of such a giant themselves are an invaluable find, but these were remarkable for another circumstance: the teeth belonged to cubs, whose age at that time was no more than 2 years (the result of calculation by the ratio of the length of the tooth to the total length of the animal).

This means that Megalodon “organized” a nursery in this water area for young individuals a very long time ago, and the functioning of this territory obviously did not stop for centuries.

Watch the video “What a young Megalodon looks like”:

The question arises, why doesn’t Megalodon leave offspring in Mariana Trench, where does he live? Does it swim specifically for this purpose in almost shallow coastal waters?

Scientists have yet to answer this question. In the meantime, there is an assumption that the baby of this huge shark still needs sunlight, which is inaccessible at depth. And that the food of this predator during adolescence should be affordable both in terms of quantity and ease of hunting.

It is the facts of fossil finds, as well as the peculiarity of the water area itself between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans (a huge area of shallow water, which was not deep enough for the natural enemies of Megalodon, but optimally safe for its offspring) that make this geographical location ideal for organizing a kindergarten there for his cubs.

Some researchers make serious assumptions that the waters of Australia will soon become an alternative to the Isthmus of Panama - the optimal climate and the presence of a large amount of easily accessible food will attract Megalodons to breed in this area of the World Ocean.

Technique for detecting Megalodons in the ocean

Having come to these conclusions, scientists have moved noticeably closer to the habitats of prehistoric giant sharks. Now all that remains is to track down the female Megalodon (which is more difficult), or her offspring (which is easier, due to their natural carelessness).

For service modern researchers The ocean will soon be equipped with a unique sound detection technology - acoustic hydrophones, which have already been tested in the Mariana Trench and have given amazing results in detecting huge objects there.

Especially for these purposes, engineers of the NOAA Bureau of Oceanic and atmospheric research and the first hydrophone was created, which is capable of withstanding the enormous pressures of the ocean depths, equipped with modern electronics, a disk for recording data, a powerful amplifier and a high-capacity power supply.

Now that the specific localization of not only Megalodon, but also its offspring has been identified, the time to meet it, as they say, is a matter of technology.

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 foods 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.

Huge teeth that are found throughout the ocean, which indicates an incredibly wide distribution of megalodons, have triangular shape and resembles a shark. 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 routine once and for all, early in the morning the lobster fishermen set out 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 at 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 the terrible 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

How big was Megalodon and how much did it weigh?

Megalodon ( Carcharocles megalodon, "big tooth") is the largest predatory shark in the history of the Earth. They tried to estimate the size of the prehistoric fish more than once. In 1909, when the megalodon jaw was first reconstructed, the length of the shark's body, according to scientists, was 30 meters. Today's advances in the field of vertebrate biology and new discoveries of megalodon remains have reduced the estimated dimensions are doubled. Using different methods of studying the teeth of a predator, we obtain a body length from 13 to 18 meters. Only in 2015, after studying a large sample of teeth, was it obtained average length 10 meters, and the maximum is 15 meters. By comparison, a great white shark can theoretically reach seven meters in length. The size of megalodon is approaching the largest marine reptiles Mesozoic, such as mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs.

Why are shark teeth used when estimating size, rather than parts of its skeleton? Because sharks are cartilaginous fish. That is, their skeleton consists not of bones, but of cartilage. Cartilage is poorly preserved. They decompose before they turn to stone. So we have almost no remains of megalodon, except for teeth.

For a long time, the mass of megalodon remained a subject of debate. It is difficult to draw conclusions about mass based only on the teeth of an animal. The lack of remains of the giant predator has prevented accurate estimates. If we reconstruct the megalodon based on the build of a white shark, we will get a body mass of 41 to 47 tons. But we can compare the dimensions of megalodon and whale shark to draw conclusions about the mass of extinct fish. This method reduces weight to 30 tons. All the same, with such a mass, the predator must have consumed a colossal amount of food, more than a ton per day. While studying the fossils of whales, the same age as the megalodon, it became clear where the shark got so much food from. Many remains of large skeletons marine mammals had characteristic lesions consistent with the profile and size of megalodon teeth.

How big were megalodon teeth and what was the size of the largest specimen found?

Teeth giant shark found all over the world. Their average size varies from 10 to 13 cm. These sizes are already impressive, since the teeth of a great white shark are only 7 cm long. However, several megalodon teeth have been found that are more than 17 cm long. The largest megalodon tooth found was as much as 19 cm.

In 1843, when the megalodon was first described, it was placed in the genus Carcharadon, which includes the great white shark. Two huge sharks, with large jagged teeth - they are probably related. But time passed, science developed, and the fossil record was filled in. Today, shark taxonomy looks different than it did a century and a half ago. The evolutionary paths of the white shark and megalodon diverged more than 60 million years ago.

Megalodon is believed to have the most powerful bite in the history of fish. Its giant jaws could clamp down on a victim with a monstrous force of 109 kN. This is three times stronger than the current record holder - the saltwater crocodile. In terms of bite force, megalodon is inferior to Tyrannosaurus (more than 200 kN) and Deinosuchus (more than 350 kN).

How many teeth did megalodon have?

Do not forget that the megalodon's jaw was lined with a huge number of sharp teeth. Predatory sharks like these tend to have a large number of teeth. The old ones break down and wear out, while new ones are on the way. The giant's two-meter jaw had more than 270 teeth arranged in five rows. Triangular serrations on them, the same as those of a white shark, indicate a similar feeding pattern. Megalodon did not swallow its prey, just as the great white shark does not. Sharp and strong teeth more than 10 cm long literally sawed off huge pieces of flesh from unlucky victims.

Of course, when talking about megalodon, one cannot ignore its teeth as valuable specimens for collectors. The fact is that sharks' teeth fall out regularly and are well preserved. Today, megalodon has been well studied, and there is no end to the findings. Small teeth cost little and can be interesting and an unusual gift. But samples from 16 centimeters are already very expensive and can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

But size is not the only factor that determines cost. It is also affected by preservation and color. How larger size, the more difficult it is to find a well-preserved example. The most expensive teeth are considered to be large, impeccably preserved teeth, which are usually classified as “museum quality.”

Causes of extinction

The warm ocean and the enormous abundance of food made the megalodon a very successful predator. The remains of an ancient shark have been found in North and South America, Europe, Africa, as well as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, Canary Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malta, Grenadines and India. But what led the megalodon to success was also its death: 2.6 million years ago, the planet’s climate began to change dramatically, the oceans cooled. Large fauna became extinct, and giant predator there was simply nothing to eat. The influence of other top predators, such as killer whales, cannot be ruled out. Today, a white shark weighing 1-2 tons is breakfast for young killer whales. But, most likely, megalodon became extinct due to a complex of reasons that unfortunately fell on its head.

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 marine predators of all time.

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 the Mariana Trench in the 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 Latin name kind - 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 between glossopetra and teeth 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, a huge number of fossilized megalodon teeth of various sizes have been found in different parts of the world. Some of them have been 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. It is the largest representative of the order Lamniformes and one of the most big sharks throughout the 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. That's why full 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 studies show that the megalodon had an incredible bite force of up to 108,514 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 structure of the body 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 both schools of small fish and 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 smooth whales to dolphins), but also giant sea turtles.

3D scene of a megalodon attacking sea turtle from the Discovery Channel series 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 "Fight Club" Jurassic period: Sea Hunters." A member of a pack of ancient brigmophyseters 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.