In 1975, Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” appeared on the big screens of cinema . In addition to commercial success, this fictional story about a killer white shark was the starting point for the species to come into fashion. Carcharodon Megalodon
Carcharodon megalodon is the scientific name for an extinct shark that inhabited the oceans thousands of years ago
Its scientific name literally means “big tooth”. In relation to their appearance, fossil remains found show that this shark was much like the great white shark.
For centuries, the few megalodon fossils have been misinterpreted. They were believed to belong to fantastic animals described in mythological stories. This view changed radically when the Danish polymath Nicolás Steno first identified the megalodon through some fossilized teeth. Carcharodon Megalodon
As for its classification as a species, it was in the 19th century that this prehistoric shark received its current name.
The teeth of this extinct shark were over five feet high. Regarding its size as a species, scientists have not come to an agreement , but it is very likely that there is a range close to twenty meters (this size is quite similar to the whale shark).
The megalodon’s jaws have been the object of study for their unique characteristics and, for this reason, in some natural history museums there are reproductions of its powerful jaws. Carcharodon Megalodon
This marine giant from prehistory is considered one of the greatest predators in animal history.
Its fossil remains have been found in all oceans and these data suggest that the shark easily adapted to diverse marine ecosystems.
Regarding its extinction, the exact causes are unknown, but it is very likely that the cooling of the waters was the main factor that caused its disappearance as a species. Carcharodon Megalodon
From the age-old fascination with sea monsters to killer shark movies
Often, in the ancient stories of mythology, there were fantastic accounts of monsters that inhabited the depths of the sea. An example in this regard is the Kraken monster from Scandinavian mythology, a fantastical creature described by the appearance of a giant octopus with powerful tentacles.
This literary tradition was adapted to the world of cinema and the species had its own movie in 2002, “Shark Attack 3: Megalodon”. Carcharodon Megalodon
