Megalodon Shark : A Prehistoric Animal
“We always talk about dynasties or historical heroes. We hardly talk about the places, monuments or animals that are prehistoric.” Complained Rohan to his friend Sir Dig A Lot
Sir Dig A Lot said “Alright, fair enough! We will talk about a prehistoric animal today. One that is lesser known and extinct. I am going to tell about the Megalodon.”
Sir Dig A Lot adjusted his glasses and sat comfortably next to Rohan. He continued “In ancient Greek language Megalodon means ‘big tooth’. It is an extinct species of shark that lived 1.5 million years ago. The size of the Megalodon was so big that the modern day white shark would look like a baby in comparison to it. It is believed to be 50 feet long, that is about a 5 story building. The name big tooth was coined because its teeth are 7 inches long and it used to weigh a massive 70 tons. In comparison a white shark’s teeth are only 3 inches long and the only sea animal to outweigh the Megalodon is the blue whale. It was considered probably the biggest and fiercest predators in history.”
“The Megalodon could open its jaws so wide that a person as tall as 6 feet could walk easily in and out of it. According to a survey in the year 2008, the bite of the Megalodon is considered to be the most powerful of all the animals that have ever lived. If you thought the bite of a shark is powerful, a Megalodon’s bite is 10 times more powerful. When a white shark bites it applies a pressure of 1.8 tons, whereas the bite of a Megalodon generated a pressure of 11 to 18 tones on its victim. That amount of pressure could crush the hardest of skull like a grape. It attacked the fins first so that its prey could not escape easily.”
“As the largest animal of the sea, a Megalodon could just about eat any animal in the sea. Its diet mostly consisted of the whale among other sea animals. Evidence of its breeding has been found closer to the warmer places like the coastal regions. However, unlike any sea animal the Megalodon fossil has been found all over the world. Studies have been possible as sharks shed their teeth often and teeth of Megalodon have been found in all parts of the world. The first sighting of the same was in the 17th century where the size of the massive teeth made people curious to study the creature over a period of time.”
“So how does an animal so big and fierce get extinct?” asked Rohan
“There is no concrete answer yet. Scientists have invested years in studying this animal and the reasons behind its extinction. Most views point to the effect of global cooling and by the disappearance of its main diet, the giant whales. There was also competition from the ancestral killer whales that lead to its decline. Some people believe that the Megalodon still lurks in the depth of the oceans. However there is no evidence to support this.”
“Wow that was a great story. I would love to hear more about such creatures.” Rohan said
“Certainly and the time will come” Sir Dig A Lot concluded
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