MEGALODON

THE ANCIENT ANIMAL

MADE BY: RODRIGO CLARK DATE: 10/01/2024
How long was the species alive?
◦ The available fossil record of this predator, which consists of teeth
and vertebrae, shows that the megalodon swam through ocean
waters from about 20 million years ago to about 3 million years
ago. Estimates show that their extinction occurred about 2.6 million
years ago.
What was the height and weight of the
megalodon?
◦ The exact weight of the megalodon is not known exactly but, taking
stock of its size, it is estimated that it must have weighed
approximately 100 tons. Many studies have suggested that the
megalodon could have measured 18 or even 20 meters .
 What did the megalodon eat?
◦ Fossil evidence indicates that Megalodon fed on many species of
cetaceans, including dolphins, small whales, cetoteres, squalodontids
(shark-toothed dolphins), bowhead whales, and fin whales. In
addition to this, they also targeted seals, sirenians and sea turtles.
How long did the megalodon live and
why?
◦ Some scientists estimated that their lifespan was between
approximately 50 to 100 years. The megalodon could live so long
because they were very close to their prey and because of their
ability to hunt.
How was the existence of the
megalodon discovered?
◦ Megalodons have been known to science since the 1840s thanks to
their enormous triangular teeth that have been found fossilized. It
was named megalodon by Louis Agassiz in 1835, when this Swiss
naturalist was conducting research on fossil fish.
Thank you very
much for your
attention