Megalodon (Megalodon Carcharocles), which means it's "big teeth ", is a species of extinct shark that lived about 23 up to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the early Miocene to Pliocene. Previously estimated that it belongs to the family Lamnidae, closely related to the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).

But now there is an almost unanimous consensus about becoming a member of the extinct family Otodontidae, which depart from the ancestor early Cretaceous great white shark. The placement of this genre is still discussed, the author put them in Carcharocles, Otodus Megaselachus, or Procarcharodon.

All About Megalodon Fact and Truth

Scientists believe that Megalodon looked like a great white shark version more stokier, although some experts think it may look like a shark (Cetorhinus maximus) or sand tiger shark (Carcharias Taurus). Regarded as one of the largest and most powerful predator of all time, the rest of the fossil Megalodon indicate that this giant shark reaches a maximum length of 18 metres (59 ft) with an average altitude of 10.5 meters (34 feet). Their large jaw can exert power bite up to 110,000 to 180,000 newton (25,000 to 40,000 lbf). Their teeth are thick and powerful, designed to achieve the bones of prey and broken.

Megalodon can have a significant impact on the structure of the marine community. The fossil record shows that it has a cosmopolitan distribution. It can target the large prey such as whales, seals and turtles. Teens living in the warm coastal waters and eating small fish and whales. Unlike the great white, which attacked prey on the down side, the Megalodon can use its powerful JAWS to penetrate the chest cavity and penetrate the heart and lungs.

All About Megalodon : Fact and Truth

The animals are facing the competition of cetacean such as whales, eat the Livyatan and other makroraptorial, sperm whales and killer whales Orcinus small, such as the ancestor of citoniensis. Because sharks are warmer waters, it is believed that the cooling of the sea related to the emergence of glasiasi, coupled with a drop in sea level and the loss of suitable breeding areas, can also contribute. decreased. Reduce diversity and changing the distribution of baleen whales in the polar regions might have reduced the major food source of the Megalodon. Recently, it has been proven that competition from big, modern white shark can also contribute to the extinction of Megalodon, which is associated with a variety of fragmentation that leads to gradual extinction and out of sync which results from cooling of the oceans, there are about 3.6 to 4 million. year, far earlier than previously planned. The extinction of the shark seems to be affecting other animals; For example, the size of the whales significantly increased after the disappearance of sharks.

According to the Renaissance, were once believed that the giant behemoth, a gigantic triangular teeth, which are often embedded in the rock formations, is a petrified tongues, or glossopetrae, Dragon, and snakes. This interpretation was corrected in 1667 by naturalist Denmark Nicolas shorthand, which recognized him as shark teeth and is famous for its depiction of a shark's head with teeth. He described his findings in a book The Head of a Shark Dissected, which also contains illustrations of the Megalodon teeth.

Switzerland naturalist Louis Agassiz gives this shark scientific name, Carcharodon Megalodon, original in his year 1843, Fossil, Fossil Research based on a fixed gear. Paleontology United Kingdom Edward Charlesworth in his article the year 1837 under the name carcharias Megalodon Agassiz, citing as a writer, pointed out that Agassiz describes species before 1843. Paleontology United Kingdom, Charles Davies Sherborn, registering a series of article 1835 Agassiz as the first scientific description of a shark.

The specific name Megalodon is translated as "Big Tooth ", from the ancient Greece: Μέγας, translit. (Megas), large, powerful ' lit ' and orδόντος (odontús), "Dent ". Megalodon teeth are morphological resemblance to great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and that is associated with the genus Carcharodon Agassiz. Although "Megalodon " is an informal name for the sharks, he was also often referred to as Giant White Shark " ", " " Giant Sharks, Giant Shark " ", or " " Meg: 4

There is an actual description of the 1881 shark classifies them as a Selache manzonii.

While the Megalodon first reported at the end of the Oligocene, about 28 million years ago (Mya), there is a dispute about the date of publication, with a start date of 16 Mya. It is estimated the Megalodon died in late Pliocene, about 2.6 million. Claim tooth Megalodon Pleistocene, less than 2.6 million years old, are considered unreliable. A more recent assessment about the extinction of the cell is derived from the early Pliocene, 3.6 million years ago.

The megalodon is now considered a member of the family Otodontidae, of the genus Carcharocles, compared with previous Lamnidae, classification of the genus Carcharodon. Carcharodon Megalodon in classification is due to similarities with the great white shark teeth, but most authors now thinks that this is due to convergent evolution. In this model, the great white shark is more close to the extinct toothed mako (Isurus hastalis) than a megalodon, as evidenced by the tooth that was more like two sharks; Megalodon teeth have much smoother than out from a great white shark. Great white shark the Mako sharks closer to (Isurus spp.), with a common ancestor around 4 million people. Supporters of the old model, where the great white shark and Megalodon closer, claim that the difference between their teeth are small and blurred: 23-25

Carcharocles genus currently contains four species: c. c. angustidens, auriculatus, c. Megalodon and c. chubutensis.: 30-31 evolution of the lineage is marked by an increasing number of teeth, the enlargement of the Crown, the development of triangular shape and the loss of the cusps laterally. 28-31: the evolution of dental morphology reflects a change in tactics of predation from bite bite bite into sharp, perhaps a change in prey selection of fish to cetaceans. The lateral Cusps finally disappeared during the gradual process that takes about 12 million years during the transition between the c. Megalodon and c. chubutensis. The genus was proposed by d. Jordan and h. Hannibal in 1923 containing c. auriculatus. In the 1980 's, the Megalodon was assigned to Carcharocles.: 30 Before this, in 1960, the genus Procarcharodon was founded by France linguists Edgard Casier, which incorporates four sharks and is considered distinct from the great white shark. . It is now considered a junior synonym of the genus Carcharocles: 30 Palaeocarcharodon created with Procarcharodon to represent the early lineage and, in models where the megalodon and great white shark closely related, they are a common ancestor last. This is considered an impasse of evolution and not associated with shark Carcharocles by authors who reject the model

Another model of the evolution of the genre, also proposed by Casier in 1960, was the direct ancestor of Carcharocles Otodus obliquus, which require, au Paléocène du Miocène vivait, between 13 and 60 million years old. Genre Otodus eventually came from Cretolamna, symbol of the Summit. As for the model, o. obliquus evolved towards o. aksuaticus, which does not have a service against c. auriculatus, then to c. angustidens, then to c. chubutensis, then to c. Megalodon.

Another example of the evolution of Carcharocles, I propose in the year 2001 for the paleontologist Michael Benton, is that you find other species that are in fact unique species of reptiles of which change from time to time between Paléocène et le Pliocène, which makes cronologie: 17 boutiques Auteurs who c. auriculatus, c. angustidens and c. chubutensis classed as their species in the genus Otodus, leaving c. Carcharocles Megalodon seul members.

Created by Peut être Carcharocles invalide et les requins peuvent belongs to the genre of Otodus, which makes Otodus Megalodon. One study conducted in 1974 by Henri Cappetta sur les Reims du Paléogène fonda le sous-genre Megaselachus, classifying commodities like Otodus (Megaselachus) Megalodon, avec o. (m.) chubutensis. A 2006 survey of Chondrichthyes released Megaselachus au genre et a été requen comme classée Megaselachus Megalodon et m. chubutensis. Dekadisi fossils associated with the genre of Megalolamna in 2016 caused reevaluate Otodus, which concluded that it is a paraphrased, but it was the latter, but does not include the ancestors. The inclusion of karcharocle du requin dans otodus monophylétique, renders vêtue vêtue mvalalolamna come.

Source : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalodon