If the movie “Jaws” still makes you think twice before you get in the water, this will really give you the shivers: A shark that died out a couple of million years ago had jaws big enough to swallow an adult Great White in a single gulp.
Fossilized Megalodon tooth with a diagonal length of 18cm. Credit: WikipediaIt’s known as Megalodon -- a name that means “mega-tooth.” Scientists bestowed the name because about all that remains of the monster is its teeth. Instead of bone, a shark’s skeleton is made of cartilage, which doesn’t fossilize. But the teeth do, and Megalodon’s have been found around the world.
Those teeth are downright scary. The largest are as big as a man’s hand, and lined with hundreds of serrations for ripping through flesh.
From the size of the teeth, scientists have calculated that the biggest Megalodon were more than 50 feet long and weighed more than 50 tons. At that size, its mouth would’ve stretched wide enough to swallow an adult human who was standing up. And what it couldn’t swallow whole, it could rip to shreds. A 2008 computer study found that it could bite with a force of up to 20 tons per square inch.
There’s been a lively debate about whether Megalodon is the ancestor of today’s Great White shark. Recent analysis of their teeth suggest they’re not, although the case is far from settled.
We may never know for sure, though, because Megalodon died out during a major ice age. So the next time you’re ready to jump in the ocean, don’t worry about mega-tooth. He hasn’t been seen in a couple of million years. Really. Trust us.
