No, the Megalodon is not still alive. It is an extinct species of shark which lived roughly between 23 to 3.6 million years ago during the Cenozoic Era. It is believed to have gone extinct due to a combination of cooler oceans reducing its food supply and changing competition with other predators.
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The Megalodon was the largest predatory fish to ever exist measuring over 15 meters in length and is believed to have hunted large marine mammals such as whales. Though there are occasional reports of ‘giant sharks’, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the Megalodon still exists.
What killed the megalodon?
The exact cause of the megalodon’s extinction is unknown, but it is believed to have gone extinct around 2.6 million years ago during the late Miocene to early Pliocene Epochs. Scientists theorize that several changes in the environment, such as a cooling of the oceans and the expansion of many whale species, may have contributed to the megalodon’s decline.
Additionally, competition with other apex predators, such as orcas and great white sharks, likely contributed to its disappearance. The megalodon was an endangered species after the Pliocene, and as ecosystems changed to their modern forms, they became increasingly vulnerable and eventually went extinct.
How were megalodons killed?
As there is not enough evidence to definitively answer this question. However, there are many different theories regarding the possible causes of the megalodon’s extinction. Some experts believe that climate change and competition with other large predators may have played a role in their eventual demise.
Others argue that overfishing and the development of modern weaponry and technology put the megalodon’s food supply at risk and made them unable to compete. No matter what the exact cause, it is clear that the megalodon species had already been declining even before humans arrived on the scene, so they did not have any direct role in their extinction.
It is possible that a combination of climate change, competition with other predators, overfishing, and the development of modern technology and weaponry played a role in their eventual demise and led to the disappearance of this giant species.
What caused the extinction of the megalodon?
There is much speculation as to what caused the extinction of the megalodon, an enormous species of prehistoric shark that is believed to have existed approximately 2.6 to 23 million years ago. Many theories have been proposed to explain why the megalodon is no longer around, but much remains unknown due to their extinction occurring such a long time ago.
Studies of megalodon fossils indicate that the species gradually became less common in the ocean over time. It is believed that climate change and reduced ocean productivity, both of which caused a drop in the abundance of their food sources, such as whales and seals, may have played a major role in their extinction.
Additionally, the rise of modern great white sharks may have posed a competitive disadvantage for the megalodon, reducing their prey availability.
Finally, another hypothesis suggests that the extinction of the megalodon may have been caused by a combination of both human activities, such as overfishing, and a global warming event that caused a sudden and drastic drop in the megalodon’s food sources.
While more research is needed to determine the exact cause of their extinction, it is believed that a combination of these factors likely played a role in the disappearance of one of the most fearsome predators of prehistoric times.
Is there still 1 megalodon alive?
No, there is no scientific evidence that suggests that the megalodon still exists. The megalodon was an extinct species of shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago. It was one of the largest and most powerful predators ever to live on Earth, with an average length of up to 50 feet and weigh up to 60 tons.
The megalodon went extinct at the end of the Miocene era, likely due to competition from other species and changing oceanic environments. This species of shark is considered to be a “living fossil”, having evolved and existing for millions of years before going extinct.
There have been rumors and speculation that a small population of megalodon still exists, mostly deep in the ocean’s depths, but these rumors are typically considered to be hoaxes.
Could a megalodon still exist?
No, it is highly unlikely that a megalodon could still exist today. Megalodons have been extinct for roughly 2.6 million years, making it impossible for any to still exist in the present day. Even though there have been sightings of massive sharks in modern times, they are usually hypothesized to be the much smaller, living relatives of the megalodon such as the great white shark, or an unknown species of shark.
Additionally, a megalodon would need a huge amount of food sources in order to survive, and there simply aren’t enough potential prey in the modern ocean to sustain a population of megalodons. Therefore, while it is impossible to definitively say that megalodons are (or aren’t) still alive, the available evidence suggests that they are long extinct.
How many megalodon’s are left?
There are no living megalodons left in the world today. Megalodons, or Carcharocles megalodon, were an ancient species of shark that lived between 2.6 to 23.3 million years ago. While the exact cause of their extinction is not known, it is likely that climate change, competition with other marine predators and over-harvesting by humans all played a role in their decline.
Has anyone ever seen a megalodon?
No, there have been no reported sightings of a megalodon in modern times. Megalodon was an ancient species of fish believed to have lived millions of years ago between the Miocene and Pliocene Epochs, approximately 23 million to 3.6 million years ago.
Only fossil records remain of this enormous shark that lived in shallow seas, river basins and areas around coastlines. It was believed to have been more than 60 feet in length and weighed more than 50 tons—making it the largest shark ever known to exist!
Scientists have suggested that its immense size was due to the fact that its ecosystem had not changed significantly over 1.5 million years. Megalodon likely went extinct due to changes in the global climate and competition with other large predators.
Has a megalodon been found?
No, a megalodon has not been found. Megalodons are an extinct species of shark that lived in the oceans more than 2.6 million years ago. They were the largest shark ever to exist and could grow to over 60 feet in length.
Their fossils have been found in different parts of the world and have been studied by scientists. They disappeared from the fossil record more than 3.6 million years ago and scientists do not think they exist in the oceans today.
Many museums have fossils of megalodons as well as models of these giant sharks on display. Some people have speculated that the species may still exist but no evidence has been found to support this.
When was the last time a megalodon was seen?
The last definitive sighting of a megalodon was more than 2.6 million years ago. Fossil evidence indicates that the megalodon became extinct during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition (around 2.6 million years ago), so it is unlikely that it has been seen since then.
Megalodon remains have been found in various geological strata, including those containing fossil evidence of early humans and aboriginal artifacts, suggesting that humans were present around the same time as the megalodon.
Are megalodons coming back?
No, megalodons, or giant prehistoric sharks, are not coming back. This is because megalodons have been extinct for about 2.6 million years, with the cause of extinction likely due to climate and food scarcity.
There are currently no scientific methods known to resurrect extinct species, nor any scientific evidence to suggest that megalodons could come back even if we wanted them to. Additionally, historical records from fishermen and sailors from centuries ago prove that megalodons were already extinct before our modern times.
So, unfortunately, megalodons will remain extinct for the foreseeable future.
Was a 50 ft megalodon detected in the Atlantic Ocean?
No, a 50 ft megalodon has not been detected in the Atlantic Ocean. The megalodon is an extinct species of giant prehistoric shark which lived millions of years ago and reached lengths of up to 60 feet.
It is not known what caused the megalodon to become extinct, but they were believed to have died out more than 3 million years ago. Though prehistoric sharks from the same family still exist in the Atlantic Ocean, the megalodon is not believed to exist today.
Numerous sightings and reports of mammoth sharks have been made in the Atlantic Ocean over the years, but there is no scientific evidence to support that a megalodon of anything close to 50 feet in size still exists.
Where was the megalodon found recently?
Recent sightings of megalodon occurrences have not been reported as the megalodon has been extinct for over 2.6 million years. However, fossils and bones attributed to the megalodon have been discovered around the world, especially in areas with marine sediment.
In modern times, they have been found in Europe, Africa, Australia, South America, North America, and other areas. Additionally, megalodon teeth found in deep-sea sediment off the coast of Portugal have confirmed the presence of the megalodon on the European continent.
In addition to the fossil evidence, there have been reports of possible megalodon sightings, though these are mostly anecdotal and not well-substantiated. Sightings have been reported primarily in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, in the Red Sea, and the Mediterranean.
Some other possible sightings have occurred in Brazil, Japan, the United States, Australia, and the Philippines.
Despite years of searching, no confirmed megalodon alive today has been found. As such, it is safe to conclude that the megalodon species is entirely extinct and no longer roaming our oceans.
Does the black demon shark exist?
No, the black demon shark does not exist. The term ‘black demon shark’ is not a real species of shark, but rather a nickname given to various large and potentially dangerous species, such as the great white shark and a few others.
The term is commonly used in shark enthusiast circles, and is often seen in movies and other popular culture media. However, it is important to remember that no such species of shark exists under the name of ‘black demon shark.’
FAQs
Is the megalodon still alive yes or no? ›
Is the megalodon still alive? 'No. It's definitely not alive in the deep oceans, despite what the Discovery Channel has said in the past,' notes Emma. 'If an animal as big as megalodon still lived in the oceans we would know about it.
Who killed the last megalodon? ›Megalodon from 'The Meg' was killed off by great white sharks, study suggests | The Independent.
Is it possible for a megalodon to live in the Mariana Trench? ›The deep ocean is too cold for them to survive. Megalodons were extremely large animals that ate other extremely large animals. Nothing big enough or numerous enough to sustain them lives in the Mariana Trench.
Has the megalodon been found? ›Fossil remains of megalodon have been found in shallow tropical and temperate seas along the coastlines and continental shelf regions of all continents except Antarctica.
Could megalodon be brought back? ›Bringing back the extinct Megalodon may be impossible. But scientists have managed to create a “Chickenosaurus” by manipulating the genetics of chickens.
Is the megalodon still alive today 2023? ›Megalodon is NOT alive today, it went extinct around 3.5 million years ago. Go to the Megalodon Shark Page to learn the real facts about the largest shark to ever live, including the actual research about it's extinction.
Where does the last megalodon live? ›The megalodon lived in most regions of the ocean (except near the poles). While juveniles kept to the shores, adults preferred coastal areas but could move into the open ocean. The most northern fossils are found off the coast of Denmark and the most southern in New Zealand.
How many megalodon's are left? ›Megalodons are extinct. They died out about 3.5 million years ago. And scientists know this because, once again, they looked at the teeth. All sharks – including megalodons – produce and ultimately lose tens of thousands of teeth throughout their lives.
What ate the megalodon? ›Mature megalodons likely did not have any predators, but newly birthed and juvenile individuals may have been vulnerable to other large predatory sharks, such as great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran), whose ranges and nurseries are thought to have overlapped with those of megalodon from the end of the Miocene and ...
What is the 3 biggest shark? ›| Rank | Shark | Size |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Whale shark | >55 ft |
| 2 | Basking shark | 50 ft |
| 3 | Megamouth | 25 ft |
| 4 | Tiger shark | 25 ft |
What is the proof of the megalodon? ›
In some exceptional cases, fossil marine mammal bones have been found with the bite marks of a megalodon. Some sperm whale bones have evidence of megalodon attacks on their foreheads, a part of the whale that would have been rich in fats. Dolphin tailbones have also been found with deep megalodon tooth marks.
What is the largest shark ever seen? ›The biggest great white shark on record was an enormous female shark named “Deep Blue.” This magnificent creature was over 20 feet long and weighed an estimated 2.5 tons. Her behavior was just as impressive as her size, and she was known for her unique hunting habits, mating rituals, and migration patterns.
What is the closest living relative to the megalodon? ›Instead it is thought that the Megalodon eventually gave rise to the mako sharks (Isurus oxyrinchus and I. paucus), making them it's closest living relatives and the great white, just a distant cousin (Cooper et al, 2020).
How much is a megalodon tooth worth? ›To give you a general price range for commercial grade (has some defects) Megalodon teeth. 2-3” teeth will typically be in the $20 to $60 range, 3-4” teeth will fall into the $50-100 range, 4-5” teeth the $100-200 range, 5-5 ½” teeth $200-400, etc.
Why did megalodon disappear? ›Megalodons succumbed to global cooling due to the shrinking of their habitat, the vanishing of their favorite prey, and competition from other predators 3.5 million years ago.
Has an extinct animal ever came back? ›Extinct Species: Pyrenean Ibex
The Pyrenean ibex is possibly the only extinct animal that has successfully been brought back to life — though it only lasted for a few minutes.
The Indonesian Coelacanth (Latimeria menadoensis) is a living species of coelacanth, identifiable by its brown color. It isn't a record of animals believed extinct but found alive without the infamous coelacanth!
Can DNA bring back extinct animals? ›The truth is that gene editing technology is not advanced enough yet to bring back an exact replica in a timely manner. It would take hundreds of years to change all of the differing sequences to the extinct animal's DNA.
How long could a megalodon live? ›Some megalodons are estimated to have been much larger―as long as 50 feet. Using the data from this study, together with previous research, the researchers concluded that the potential lifespan of megalodons was 88-100 years. Megalodons were over six feet long when they were born.
How big is a megalodon tooth? ›Megalodon teeth can be up to 7 inches long and were specialized for feeding on large, fleshy prey, such as whales and dolphins.
How long was the last megalodon? ›
Based on the jaw reconstruction, Megalodon was estimated to be 30 metres (98 feet) long.
Did megalodon exist with dinosaurs? ›Even though megalodons and dinosaurs are both extinct, they never coexisted. The dinosaurs died out about 66 million years ago. Megalodons came later. The oldest megalodon fossils are from the Miocene Epoch, which began 23 million years ago.
Is A megalodon bigger than a Blue Whale? ›The Megalodon weighs in at upwards of 50-70 tons, measuring a span of up to 60-70 feet in length. By contrast, the Blue Whale tips the scale at around 100-110 tons and tops lengths of up to 100 feet. Who Wins on Size? It's pretty obvious that the Blue Whale is the bigger apex predator in this fight.
How many megalodon jaws have been found? ›Although Megalodon teeth are frequently discovered, a full megalodon jaw has never been discovered.
Did megalodon have 7 in tooth? ›The largest megalodon teeth ever found have been just over 7 inches. The size of the tooth indicates that this particular megalodon was between 45 and 50 feet long. Paleontology curator Stephen Godfrey told CNN that Molly's discovery was a "once-in-a-lifetime kind of find."
What is bigger than megalodons? ›Megalodon, an ancient shark, had such a huge appetite that it could have swallowed an 8-metre-long whale in just a few bites, according to the first 3D reconstruction of the predator. This new description upgrades its already gigantic size to at least 16 metres long and a weight of 61.5 tonnes.
Is megalodon a killer? ›Killer Whale Pod: Special Adaptations. Megalodon had an estimated bite force of 40,000 PSI. Megalodon wasn't the apex predator in the ocean for millions of years for no reason! It had some serious adaptations that made it one of the deadliest creatures ever to live.
Can the megalodon be killed? ›It's important to keep food, cannonballs, and planks on hand for the entire battle. Megalodons will not go near islands. It takes about 15 cannonballs to take one down. If several cannonballs are shot into the mouth of a charging megalodon, it will be interrupted and cause less damage to the ship and its pirates.
Did megalodon have eggs? ›Megalodon was a lamniform shark, like today's great white and mako sharks, as Smithsonian Magazine reports. Instead of simply laying eggs, as most fish do, lamniform shark eggs hatch inside the mother's body, and the young sharks remain there until they're large enough to survive on their own.
What is the biggest baddest shark? ›
The great white shark, also known as the "white pointer," is the largest and deadliest predatory shark in the ocean.
What is the fattest shark? ›| Shark | Weight |
|---|---|
| Greenland shark | 1 tons |
| Great hammerhead | 1,278 lbs (580 kg) |
| Thresher shark | 1,102 lbs (500 kg) |
| Bull shark | 701 lbs (318 kg) |
A: No way. That was be absolutely impossible and goes against everything we know about megalodons based on the fossil record. For starters, megalodons were found around the world, but only in warm coastal waters. They just aren't adapted for deep ocean living.
How powerful is a megalodon? ›With a jaw estimated to measure about 9 x 11 feet, scientists have calculated that megalodon's bite force would be about 40,000 pounds per square inch. Compare that to Tyrannosaurus rex, which had a bite force of 12,000 pounds per square inch, and it's clear you've got a mighty bite on your hands. Still not convinced?
What is the smallest shark? ›The smallest shark, a dwarf lantern shark (Etmopterus perryi) is smaller than a human hand. It's rarely seen and little is known about it, having only been observed a few times off the northern tip of South America at depths between 283–439 meters (928–1,440 feet).
How old is deep blue? ›According to a report by Newsweek, the Deep Blue is one such shark, it is 20 feet long and weighs over 5,500 pounds. It is thought that Deep Blue is over 50 years old.
How big is the colossal shark? ›Supersize Shark
The colossal predator reached lengths up to 60 feet, stretching as long as a boxcar. The only marine animal ever to outweigh the massive megalodon is the blue whale, which weighs up to 200 tons, or just more than double the size of a megalodon.
First, you wouldn't be much larger than the megalodon's dorsal fin, which scientists have estimated to be around 5 feet and 3 inches tall. You would be less than half the height of their tall, which could be nearly 13 feet tall – that's about half the length of a London bus!
Did T Rex and megalodon live at the same time? ›8. Megalodon and T-Rex lived during the same time period. FICTION T-Rex lived around 65 million years ago. Megalodon live about 17-2 million years ago.
Did megalodon and great whites live at the same time? ›
In research recently published(opens in a new tab) in the science journal Nature Communications, earth scientists and biologists found preserved chemical evidence (in fossilized teeth) that megalodons and great white sharks coexisted as apex predators near the end of the megalodon's reign, some 5.3 to 3.6 million years ...
When was the last megalodon tooth found? ›In May 2022, a 6-year-old boy in the U.K. found a 4-inch-long (10 cm) megalodon tooth on a beach in Sussex, England.
What is the biggest tooth ever found? ›The biggest tooth ever is actually a tusk, and it belongs to the prehistoric mastodon. As found fossils suggest, a single mastodon tusk could grow as long as 165.3 inches (420 cm).
What is the oldest megalodon tooth? ›The oldest megalodon fossils are fossilized teeth from around 20 million years ago during the Miocene Epoch. A child in England found a megalodon tooth on a beach and it is the oldest one ever found. Megalodon teeth are not uncommon and many are for sale online for as little as 20 dollars.
What shark kills great white? ›Scientists have published new findings confirming that orcas hunt great white sharks, after the marine mammal was captured on camera killing one of the world's largest sea predators.
Does submarine shark exist? ›The infamous 6.0-7.0m False Bay white shark, dubbed "The Submarine" has a legend that stretches back to the 1970s. But what are the facts? Undoubtly, large white sharks over 5.0m exist, but probably not close to shore where we are likely to see them.
What's the biggest great white ever caught? ›The largest great white recognized by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) is one caught by Alf Dean in southern Australian waters in 1959, weighing 1,208 kg (2,663 lb).
Is there a megalodon skeleton? ›So far we've only found teeth and vertebrae of megalodons. Like other sharks, most of their skeleton is made from cartilage which doesn't preserve well in the fossil record. There's still lively debate in the scientific community about the modern species of sharks to which megalodon is most closely related.
What dinosaurs are they trying to bring back? ›Scientists launch project to bring back the extinct species - READ MORE. Colossal Biosciences, based in Dallas, Texas, wants to 'de-extinct' the dodo, more than 350 years after it was wiped out from the island of Mauritius in the 17th century.
Can the dodo be brought back? ›Similar to previous projects, resurrecting the iconic bird requires huge advances in genetic engineering, stem cell biology, artificial wombs, and animal husbandry. Whether they can fit into a whole new world—300 years later—is hotly debated.
What animals are scientists trying to bring back 2023? ›
Colossal Biosciences is on a quest to bring back extinct animal species. In the past year and a half, the company has announced plans to recreate the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger. On February 2, 2023, the Texas-based startup added the dodo bird to its de-extinction list.
What is the oldest animal on Earth still alive? ›The oldest known living terrestrial animal is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa), originally from the Seychelles but now a long-time resident of the remote South Atlantic island of St Helena. He is believed to have been born c. 1832, thus making him 190 years old in 2022.
What is the oldest animal that still exists? ›The horseshoe crab, nautilus, jellyfish, and sponge may be some of the oldest living animal species and the Gingko tree may be the oldest living plant species, but they're far from the oldest things found in the fossil record. Certain groups of bacteria have been around for billions of years.
Are they trying to bring back the megalodon? ›"In 2022, scientists discover a way to bring back the megalodon through using its DNA and they will create a real megalodon in 2023 and surprisingly nothing goes wrong. "In 2025, scientists discover signs of life on 2 different planets and they are proven to be more advanced than humans.
Could dodo birds still exist? ›We can't state an exact date but it seems that the dodo only died-off at the end of 17th century. Until recently, the last confirmed dodo sighting on its home island of Mauritius was made in 1662, but a 2003 estimate by David Roberts and Andrew Solow placed the extinction of the bird around 1690.
Are we close to cloning dinosaurs? ›The oldest DNA fragments recovered are only 800,000 years old, so dinosaur cloning is probably impossible. True cloning also requires an intact, living cell and it has only ever been successful using a host animal of the same species.
What animal are scientists trying to bring back? ›Scientists are trying to resurrect the dodo – centuries after the bird famously went extinct. The list of extinct species that genetic engineering company Colossal wants to bring back to life is growing. The latest addition: the dodo.
Why is the megalodon dead? ›Megalodons succumbed to global cooling due to the shrinking of their habitat, the vanishing of their favorite prey, and competition from other predators 3.5 million years ago.
What's the biggest shark alive? ›The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is the largest fish in the world. It is found in tropical and temperate oceans, in both deep water and coastal areas.
How many years did the megalodon live? ›Some megalodons are estimated to have been much larger―as long as 50 feet. Using the data from this study, together with previous research, the researchers concluded that the potential lifespan of megalodons was 88-100 years.
Is the black demon shark still alive? ›
The biggest flaw with this explanation is that, despite its appearance in pop culture, the megalodon has been extinct for over 2.5 million years.
What is the most aggressive shark? ›1. Great White Shark. Great white sharks are the most aggressive sharks in the world has recorded 333 attacks on humans, with 52 of them being fatal. The inclusion of this particular species probably comes as no surprise since movies, particularly Jaws, and television shows are quick to show their aggression.
What is the newest found shark? ›Discovered in the deep: the extraordinary sawshark with a weapon-like snout. Swimming through the ocean are sharks that look as if they have a hedge trimmer fixed to their heads and a dangling moustache part way along it.
Did megalodon live after dinosaurs? ›Even though megalodons and dinosaurs are both extinct, they never coexisted. The dinosaurs died out about 66 million years ago. Megalodons came later. The oldest megalodon fossils are from the Miocene Epoch, which began 23 million years ago.
What was bigger than a megalodon? ›The Megalodon is a prehistoric shark that lived approximately 2.6 million years ago. It is the largest predator scientists have ever discovered, with a maximum length of 60 feet and a weight of up to 100 tons.