Megalodon (Chararocles Megalodon) is an ancient extinct species of shark that lived during the Cenozoic Period, specifically the early Miocene and Late Pliocene (≈23Ma-2.3Ma). The Megalodon shark was one of the largest and most veracious predators to ever live on this planet. In Ancient Greek, Megalodon has a meaning of “big tooth” and the sheer size of these fossilized shark teeth have been the tale for many mythology stories and scientific inquiry. As with most sharks, their soft cartilage skeleton structure does not allow for total fossilization; however, their hard and massive teeth make perfect items for preservation in earth’s fossil record.
The exact size of one of the earth’s largest predators ever has been a subject of much scientific inquiry and debate. Fossil teeth from the Megalodon have reached an astonishing 7 inches! Megalodon shark teeth are found all over the planet, and the most common size fossil is between 3 and 5 inches. Size estimates of this massive pre-historic shark have ranged widely (40 to 70 feet), but from teeth comparisons to modern sharks scientists estimate that every inch of tooth is equal to 10 feet of shark. That means a 5 inch tooth would have came from a massive 50 foot Megalodon!
