At its deepest, at a spot called Challenger Deep, the Marina Trench measures over 35,000 feet. She said: "With its large serrated teeth megalodon would have eaten meat - most likely whales and large fish, and probably other sharks. One possibility is that a small population of Megalodon Sharks had already evolved to live at those depths before the larger population of Megalodon went extinct. Extra gills to cope with the lack of oxygen. Based on what we know about this megatooth shark, scientists estimate that their jaws could open anywhere from 2.7 to 3.4 meters wide. For starters, we know that these giant sharks roamed the oceans for more than 13 million years before they went extinct around 3.5 million years ago. The giant prehistoric shark, called a megalodon, ate everything in its path and was said to lurk in the Earths deepest oceans. One unique thing scientists have gathered from this evidence is that megalodons must have been able to open their mouths wide to tackle this kind of prey. There are no "official" sightings on record. While the megalodon does not exist any longer, the vast ocean is still deeply unexplored, leaving us with millions of unanswered questions. Megalodon: Huge shark spotted swimming beneath boat, A huge megalodon shark swims after a pod of striped dolphins (artist's impression), Enormous 1,000lbs shark which is 12ft in length spotted swimming off shores, Shark circling Mallorca beach panics swimmers as lifeguards issue urgent warning. Huge New Study Shows Why Exercise Should Be The First Choice in Treating Depression, A World-First Discovery Hints at The Sounds Non-Avian Dinosaurs Made, For The First Time Ever, Physicists See Molecules Form Through Quantum Tunneling. But this diet plan would not work for this ancient, warm-water-dwelling apex predator. So what if the largest apex predator never went extinct, like we thought it did? What sharks live in Mariana Trench? - Daily Justnow For other inquiries, Contact Us. There is no mistaking the 15 cm (6 in) teeth of the largest apex predator, the megalodon. cryptid (author) from USA on May 14, 2015: Interesting thought, John. Past research suggests that the megalodon (Otodus megalodon) went missing 2.6 million years ago alongside a wave of marine extinction, potentially caused by a supernovathat triggered severe climate and biodiversity changes during this time. Something went wrong, please try again later. Since the average depth of the ocean is around 14,000 feet, that means the Megalodon Shark, even if it has evolved to live in very deep water, could, in theory, exist in numerous places around the world. An expandable stomach could help it store food. The name Megalodon means big tooth. Most of the recovered Megalodon fossil teeth have been 4 to 5. I'm looking forward to reading more of your articles. Using information about its jaw and the number of teeth in its mouth, scientists also say that it likely had one of the most powerful bite forces in animal history somewhere between 108,500 and 182,200 Newtons. He has said that unusually large and unidentified sharks are still being reported. Far to the east, the new ocean floor is created by volcanic activity. 15 Strange and Scary Animals in the Mariana Trench (And Which Is the So it is a possibility but highly unlikely. This made megalodon around the same size as the biggest whales of its day, but much smaller than a modern blue whale, which can reach 100 feet. Did They Find a Living Megalodon In the Mariana Trench? What If the World Lost Oxygen for Five Seconds? Sign up to FREE email alerts with news to brighten your day. On the other hand, scientists shouldn't brush off reported sightings of Megalodon, especially when some of those come from experienced fishermen and seamen who know what all of those things look like. When baby fish are little and young they feed off of the shallows while the larger fish are in the deepest parts of the river way down. They were top-level predators thathunted and ate whales, using their hugeteeth and powerful jawsto devour their prey. In a scenario where megalodons and people live at the same time, they still couldnt stand a chance against us. Even if it could survive those pressures, there wouldn't be anything for it to eat due to the animals down there being small. They believe the massive megalodon- focus of the new Jason Statham film The Meg - has successfully evaded detection for millions of years. That means even a 100-foot meg may not have weighed as much as a blue whale. To put the depth into perspective, if you were to put Mount Everest into the Mariana Trench, the top would still be sticking out. The giant shark weighed the same as five buses and was once the king of the ocean. Even though the Discovery Channel has said in the past that there is life in the deep ocean, Emma asserts that this is not the case. I'm convinced. This giant shark is well-known for starring in the 2018 megalodon movie, The Meg. As scientists study the fossil record more and more, it is becoming quite obvious that megalodons lived alongside great whites. And their suspicions have been fuelled by several unexplained videos posted on the web said to show the giant beast thriving today. ", Another added: Our oceans are huge and there are vast areas that are still unexplored. It is not united anymore, but divided into several independent nations. Divisions in the Debate Over the Existence of a Megalodon in the Ocean Trench. If the megalodon never went extinct, oceans would be very unsafe places. The odds of Earth being the only planet in the whole universe are abysmal. Great White Sharks have been recorded diving as deep as 4,000 feet. Just because we have encountered alien life, does not mean it's not out there. I think that the Megalodon would have evolved to avoid life. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'animalstart_com-banner-1','ezslot_7',117,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animalstart_com-banner-1-0'); Its still unknown the exact reason megalodon went extinct, however, several theories are plausible. But I don't think it lives in the marina trench the pressure is too much!!! Sorry folks, this is impossible. The hypothesis is intriguing, but the debate over the megalodon's extinction isn't likely to end here. The megalodon was the last shark in a completely different lineage of sharks from more than 3.5 million years ago. Megamouth Shark: Proof That Sea Monsters Could Really Exist? Similar to the great white, however, the Otodus megalodon had ultra-long pectoral fins to support its massive size. The ocean is a very big place and these sharks are good at hiding, we just have yet to seek them! ould Megalodon sharks still be alive in the deepest parts of the ocean? Though there is not much information surrounding this particular fossil right now, scientists say that it could help us craft a better idea of what these massive sharks looked like. One shocking report from 1918, tells of a 35-metre long "monster" shark stalking the waters off the port of St Stephens. One reason we know this is because of fossil teeth and vertebrae left behind. What Was the Reason for the Megalodon Death? the most common sightings are in the Mariana Treach. All deep-sea creatures also have molecules called piezolytes. As for where ol' Meg lives perhaps he just roams the seas like a great white. The Mariana Trench is a massive canyon in the Earth's crust and the deepest part of the ocean. But that brings us back to our original problem: If a 60-foot predatory shark is still out there, and still lives around the world, we should see the evidence. The Mariana Trench is about as remote as it gets, and even a massive shark would be very hard to find. This is partly due to some famous novels written on the subject, but the logic here sort of makes sense. Great whites first showed up on Earth about six million years ago, and at first, they were confined to the Pacific. I cannot wait for the day when there is scientific proof there is a HUGE shark out there! Another reason megalodon fossils don't contain skeletons is that shark skeletons are made of cartilage, which is the same material found in our ears and nose. Despite its impressive size, it remained unknown until 1976. As for what it eats probably squid, tunia, and maybe whales. A GIANT 100-ton prehistoric shark which ate everything it its path is still lurking in the Earth's deepest oceans - say internet conspiracy theorists. Researchers say their teeth are also commonly found around Australia and Morocco, though you can even find them around the UK. Are megalodon still alive in the Mariana Trench? The Pacific Sleeper Shark and Greenland Shark are huge animals reaching over 20 feet in length and can live at depths of up to 9,000 feet. Getting bitten by this beast would feel like. Scientists believe that a large part of its extinction was due to its loss of habitat. So why do some people think it could still exist in the Mariana Trench and other deep places in the ocean? Reliable witnesses have reporting seeing other cryptids and it has later been proven to be a mistaken identity or wishful thinking. For example, an image from 2016 appeared to show a 60-foot shark in Japans Suruga Bay. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Plus, why wouldn't they just migrate to where whales and large food items live? And there is a genuine modern-day precedent for gigantic sharks remaining hidden from the rest of the world. Come dive in with us as we explore everything you need to know about the all-powerful megalodon. She says the creature would have eaten large prey such as whales and other sharks, but there are no reports of whales being attacked by a predator large enough to be a megalodon. Weighing the same as five busses, the killer predator was three times longer and 40 times heavier than the largest ever recorded great white shark. How could it withstand the immense pressure? but even if the mariana trench isnt its true habitat couldnt it have adapted to fight extinction ? In fact, if we were living in the same era, we could be the reason for their extinction. The cold temperatures of the Mariana Trench made it impossible for megalodons to live there. Images surfaced in 2016 which appeared to show what looked like a 60-foot shark illuminated in the darkness of Japan's Suruga Bay. 4. Again, to put this into perspective, the average human bite force is around 1,317 Newtons, while the average bite force of great white sharks is 18,200 Newtons. The Mariana Trench. Two million years ago, the megalodon was tearing into the equivalent of one-and-a-half cows a day. "If an animal as big as megalodon still lived in the oceans we would know about it.". Our shows take you to the frontiers of science and make the most complex ideas and theories entertaining and accessible. The Mariana Trench megalodon would most definitely need to stock up on some of those. According to website Exemplore: "While it may be true that Megalodon lives in the upper part of the water column over the Mariana Trench, it probably has no reason to hide in its depths. In fact, if it were still alive in the deepest point of the ocean, the Mariana trench, we would know about it at this point. This is the world 200 million years ago. A new study has once again confirmed that this is not the case. Is megalodon alive#shorts - YouTube At that depth, the only life is tiny amphipods, which wouldn't even rate as a snack for Megalodon. ", Rchick added: "Scientists and researchers dont know anything for sure. Stories of massive sharks have circulated in the region for decades, and some believe the Megalodon Shark still lurks in the depths. Is there a megalodon alive today?