Megalodon

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MegalodonMegalodon (Carcharodon megalodon) is

another extinct shark species that is the largest predatory shark known.

Megalodon occurred from 28-1.5 mya and at approximately16m long (and with a mass estimated at 47 metrics tonnes) it resembled a massive great white shark and was the top ocean predator of its era.

“Megalodon (gray and red) with the whale shark (violet), great white shark (green), and a human (blue) for scale. Note: The maximum size attained by C. megalodon is indicated by the 20 m scale.” From Wikipedia.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Megalodon_scale1.png/220px-Megalodon_scale1.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Megalodon_tooth_ruler.jpg/220px-Megalodon_tooth_ruler.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Megalodon_shark_jaws_museum_of_natural_history_068.jpg/300px-Megalodon_shark_jaws_museum_of_natural_history_068.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1f/Carcharodon_megalodon.jpg/220px-Carcharodon_megalodon.jpg

MegalodonMegalodon preyed on anything it wanted

including pinnipeds, sea turtles, and frequently whales.

Fossil whales skeletons contemporaneous with Megalodon show bite damage clearly inflicted by Megalodon.

MegalodonMegalodon when attacking large prey is

believed to have focused its attack on the rib cage area crushing the delicate organs within.

It also is believed to have bitten off appendages immobilizing the prey.

MegalodonMegalodon’s bite force has been estimated at

up to 10 times that of a great white shark and up to five times that of a Tyrannosaurus rex.

The large serrated teeth were deep rooted and Megalodon likely behaved like a great white which shakes its head after biting thus sawing through its prey.

Extinction of MegalodonThe formation of the Isthmus of Panama

three mya resulted in large changes in ocean currents and reduced worldwide ocean temperatures.

Megalodon preferred warmer sea temperatures and the loss of warm water habitat coupled with a substantial decline in the diversity of whales (also as a result of changing ocean temperatures) is most likely the cause of the species extinction.