megalodon

6 Stories

Veteran Fossil Hunter, Age 9, Makes a Rare Find

Molly Sampson wades out and spots giant megalodon tooth

(Newser) - Molly Sampson has been searching for a giant megalodon tooth for eight of her nine years. "She's been shark tooth hunting since age 1 when she would crawl along the beach," said her mother, Alicia. When Molly opened the insulated wading boots that she'd asked for...

Researchers Create Model of Huge, Ancient Shark
Researchers Create Model
of Huge, Ancient Shark
new study
Aug 20, 2022 5:45 PM CDT

Researchers Create Model of Huge, Ancient Shark

Megalodon could have devoured a killer whale in 5 bites, research shows

(Newser) - Today's sharks have nothing on their ancient cousins. A giant shark that roamed the oceans millions of years ago could have devoured a creature the size of a killer whale in just five bites, new research suggests. For their study published this week, researchers used fossil evidence to create...

Our Vision of Legendary Shark Is Flawed
Our Vision of Legendary
Shark Is Flawed
NEW STUDY
Feb 10, 2022 2:03 PM CST

Our Vision of Legendary Shark Is Flawed

Researchers say we actually don't know what giant megalodon looked like

(Newser) - We know Otodus megalodon was a massive shark, about three times as long as the largest great white shark ever recorded. But we don't know much else about the appearance of the beast that swam around Earth's oceans between 3.6 million and 15 million years ago, despite...

These Baby Sharks Were Anything but Cute
These Baby Sharks Were
Anything but Cute
new study
Jan 11, 2021 9:55 AM CST

These Baby Sharks Were Anything but Cute

Megalodons were born more than 6 feet long, and they were cannibals

(Newser) - You'd need a whole new song to describe these baby sharks, and it wouldn't be cute. Scientists studying long-extinct megalodons estimate they were born 6.5 feet long, reports the Guardian . And one reason they emerged so large was that they likely snacked on their unhatched siblings while...

NC Beach Awash in Teeth From Bus-Sized Shark

The six-inch teeth suggest a 60-foot prehistoric giant

(Newser) - In recent days, beachgoers in North Topsail Beach and Surf City in North Carolina have been stumbling upon some rare teeth—some the size of an adult hand—which belonged to a supersized prehistoric shark called a megalodon. Aurora Fossil Museum experts say Hurricane Joaquin likely dredged up the previously...

Study: Whales grew huge after super-sized shark went extinct
Whales Got So Big After Super-Sized Shark Died Out
new study
Oct 24, 2014 10:25 AM CDT

Whales Got So Big After Super-Sized Shark Died Out

Megalodon died out 2.6M years ago, scientists estimate

(Newser) - Great white sharks have nothing on the ancient megalodon, which grew up to 50 feet in length and sported teeth as long as 7 inches. And now scientists have their firmest timeframe yet for when the creature went extinct. Scientists at the University of Florida in Gainesville report this week...

6 Stories