The megalodon was one of the fiercest predators to ever walk the earth, having ruled the seas 23 million years ago.
But despite being 52 feet long and weighing a whopping 61 tons, he’s only known from fragmentary remains like his teeth.
Even more interesting is what came before Megalodon and evolved into the Beast of the Deep.
Now scientists in Australia have gained further insight after discovering a tooth belonging to the 40-foot-long ancestor and closest relative to the megalodon.
Shark Graveyard: The megalodon was one of the fiercest predators to ever walk the earth, having ruled the seas 23 million years ago. Now scientists in Australia have discovered a tooth that belonged to the 40-foot-long ancestor and is the closest relative to the megalodon
Despite being 52 feet long and weighing a whopping 61 tons, Megalodon is only known from fragmentary remains such as its teeth
THE BIGGEST SHARK THAT EVER LIVED
O. megalodon was not only the largest shark in the world, but also one of the largest fish ever.
It is estimated to have grown to between 49 and 59 feet (15 and 18 meters) in length, three times longer than the largest known great white shark.
Without a complete megalodon skeleton, these numbers are based on the size of the animal’s teeth, which can reach 7 inches in length.
Most reconstructions show Megalodon looking like a giant great white shark, but that is now considered incorrect.
READ ALSO: Megalodon: The Truth About The Largest Shark That Ever Lived
It was found along with more than 750 other fossilized teeth in a shark graveyard at the bottom of the Indian Ocean.
“The teeth appear to have come from modern sharks such as mako and great white sharks, but also from ancient sharks including the immediate ancestor of the megalodon basking shark,” said Dr. Glenn Moore, curator of fish at the Western Australian Museum.
“This shark evolved into the megalodon, which was the largest of all sharks but died out about 3.5 million years ago.”
dr Moore, who was part of the team that made the discovery, said it was amazing that such a large number of teeth were collected from a relatively small area on the sea floor.
“We also found a few mako and great white shark teeth during the current cruise, but nothing comparable to the numbers found during the previous cruise,” he added.
“It’s incredible to imagine that we collected all these teeth in a net from the sea floor about 4 to 5 km below the sea surface.”
Scientists led by the museum’s Victoria Research Institute made the surprising discovery of the shark graveyard during the last trawl of a trip at a depth of 18,000 feet (5,400 meters).
This trip was one of two biodiversity surveys in Australia’s newest marine parks and was conducted by experts on the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) research vessel.
In addition to a shark cemetery, they also discovered a specimen of a new shark species.
“Early on the trip, we caught an eye-catching small striped horn shark,” said shark expert Dr. Will White of the CSIRO’s Australian National Fish Collection.
“This species is unique to Australia but has not yet been described and named.
“The specimen we collect will be incredibly important to science because we will use it to describe the species.”
dr Moore, who was part of the team that made the discovery, said it was amazing that such a large number of teeth were collected from a relatively small area on the sea floor
Scientists led by the museum’s Victoria Research Institute made the surprising discovery of the shark graveyard during the last trawl of a trip at a depth of 18,000 feet (5,400 meters).
Scientists have found more than 750 fossilized teeth in a shark graveyard at the bottom of the Indian Ocean
Previous studies suggest that the megalodon reached at least 50 feet (15 meters) and possibly up to 65 feet (20 meters) in length.
Horn sharks include the well-known Port Jackson shark and are generally slow-moving species found in shallow waters.
They spend most of the day camouflaged among rocks and algae on the seabed and come out at night to feed.
However, this new species lives in water more than 150 meters deep, and scientists know next to nothing about its behavior.
dr White said biodiversity surveys are always exciting because experts never know what they’re going to find.
“Australia has a truly vast sea area that is home to some of the most diverse marine life in the world, but we still know very little about what lives beneath the waves,” he added.
“From the very first survey on this voyage, we have made new discoveries and collected data that are critical to protecting and sustaining life in our oceans.”
Scientists have used a range of equipment to study marine life and seabed habitats in the Indian Ocean, including underwater towed and remote-controlled cameras.
Several species of sharks were filmed during the trip.
dr CSIRO’s John Keesing said the discovery of a new species is quite common in biodiversity surveys like this one.
‘It is estimated that about a third of the species collected in recent biodiversity fact-finding trips using the RV Investigator may be new to science,’ he added.
The trip was one of two biodiversity surveys in Australia’s newest marine parks and was conducted by experts on the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) research vessel
“The discoveries we are making are not just limited to new species. These voyages give us the opportunity to learn more about marine ecosystems and about species richness, abundance and behavior.’
The discoveries underscore the importance of marine biodiversity exploration voyages and the significant contribution they make to better understanding life in our oceans.
“From small, new, bottom-dwelling sharks to giant ancient mega-sharks that once roamed the oceans, these biodiversity surveys are giving us important insights into life in our oceans,” said Dr. Keesing.
Parks Australia’s Jason Mundy said the discoveries would help manage the remote marine parks now and in the future.
“It shows that there is still more to learn about our 60 Australian marine parks, especially those in deep and hard-to-reach environments,” he added.
‘This is made possible through partnerships with research institutes and universities.’
MEGALODON EXPLAINED
Pictured: Megalodon
The megalodon, meaning big tooth, lived 23 to 3.6 million years ago.
O. megalodon is considered one of the largest and most powerful predators in vertebrate history, and fossil remains suggest it grew to 65 feet in length.
The monster is believed to have looked like a stockier version of the now-feared great white shark, weighing up to 100 tons.
Megalodon can be recognized by its huge vertebrae and teeth, which are triangular in shape and almost 20 cm in diagonal length.
It took famed fossil hunter Vito “Megalodon” Bertucci almost 20 years to reconstruct the jaw of a megalodon – the largest ever assembled – which is 11 feet wide and nearly 9 feet tall.
The megalodon’s colossal maw would have generated a brute force of 10.8 to 18.2 tons.
The ancient shark has been described as a super predator because it could swim at high speeds and quickly kill a variety of prey such as sea turtles and whales in its powerful jaws.