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How did the Megalodon originate?

How did the Megalodon originate?

Would you like to know how this giant prehistoric shark came to be? Are you curious about the history of this shark? Then read this blog.

Megalodon first appeared around the Early Miocene. It evolved from mako sharks that had evolved during the Eocene. The first ancestor of the basking shark was the Carcharocles Auriculatus, which was smaller and lived around the Eocene era. We will tell you more about this in this blog.

Life cycle of the Megalodon

The Megalodon lived during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. This means that the Megalodon lived in the oceans between 23 million years ago and 2.6 million years ago. It probably became extinct as the waters of the oceans got colder towards the Pleistocene, the period of the Ice Age. The disappearance of food for Megalodon probably also contributed to its extinction.

Geographical distribution of Megalodon

Megalodon teeth are found almost everywhere in the world. This gives us the idea that the Megalodon lived in almost all seas, where the seas were warm enough. The Megalodon also lived in the Netherlands. This was at a time when the Netherlands was still almost completely under water, around the Miocene and Pliocene era. In this then still shallow sea, the Megalodon lived together with other large sharks, such as the basking shark and the mako shark.

The Megalodon's way of life

The teeth of Megalodon are very similar to those of the white shark. Presumably, the Megalodon lived in the same way as today's white sharks, which are only distant relatives, as a large predator in the oceans. Large tooth marks were found during a study of fossil whale bones, indicating that the Megalodon had whales on its menu. It probably ate everything it came across.

Reproduction of the Megalodon

Like many shark species, including the Taurus shark, Megalodons gave birth to their young on coastlines, including protected bays. These locations gave the young sharks a great source of food and a safe environment to grow up in. This was far away from large predators that preyed on the wide open oceans. Scientists have discovered Megalodon breeding sites in Maryland, the Canary Islands, Florida and Panama, among other places. The Megalodon was already extremely voracious at a very early stage, the embryo stage, and would eat its brothers and sisters in the womb without difficulty.

Have you always wanted one of these ancient teeth? Then take a look at our range of teeth from the Megalodon.

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