How are scientists certain that Megalodon is extinct when approximately 95% of the world’s oceans remain unexplored?

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Would like to understand the scientific understanding that can be simply conveyed.

Thanks you.

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66 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

A Megaladon would need to eat something really, really big – like whales.

We would see evidence of Megaladons feeding on large whales or sharks even if we never found one, sharks rarely ‘finish’ a meal.

They’re also big enough that they’d likely have washed up somewhere by now.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Every living creature leaves behind some sort of “footprint”, and that is especially true for apex predators like the great Megalodon. Aside from stuff like teeth and bones, a monster of that size ***will*** reshape the whole ecosystem around it so unless they somehow developed the ability to hibernate for millions of year, for whatever reason, Megalodon is definitely off the menu.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Firstly, the Megalodon was thought to live in the tropics and coastal areas, not in deep water, obviously this would make it very difficult to miss. If it existed we’d probably find it 200 metres off a popular beach, not in the middle of nowhere.

Secondly, marine biologists would notice an apex predator. It’s one of the most vital roles in a food chain, a Megalodon would be eating tons, it would have a massive impact on any ecosystem it finds itself in. Marine biologists are constantly tracking and monitoring animal behaviour and ecosystems, we’d notice it.

Thirdly, when we say 95% of the world’s oceans are unexplored, we mean that a human hasn’t personally been in those spots, looked around and gone, ‘yep, nothing here’. We have completely mapped out the ocean floors, we know 95% of the ocean is completely empty, no need to go look. A giant creature doing laps in the middle of nowhere would have been spotted.

Lastly, the only physical evidence we’ve found that relates to Megalodons dates back to about 3.6 to 4 million years old. No new evidence has shown up, not a single tooth, no corpses, absolutely nothing.

So yeah, scientists are pretty certain it’s not here anymore.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Megalodon is an enormous coastal, surface dwelling shark and most of the unexplored ocean is in far remote areas where there is basically nothing there but water so it’s pretty safe to say we would definitely have seen one if it were to be swimming around. We also have the knowledge that giant size predators have been lost in evolution in general due to the fact it is just not feasible to meet the dietary requirements of giant carnivorous predators. Great question though

Anonymous 0 Comments

Firstly, the Megalodon was thought to live in the tropics and coastal areas, not in deep water, obviously this would make it very difficult to miss. If it existed we’d probably find it 200 metres off a popular beach, not in the middle of nowhere.

Secondly, marine biologists would notice an apex predator. It’s one of the most vital roles in a food chain, a Megalodon would be eating tons, it would have a massive impact on any ecosystem it finds itself in. Marine biologists are constantly tracking and monitoring animal behaviour and ecosystems, we’d notice it.

Thirdly, when we say 95% of the world’s oceans are unexplored, we mean that a human hasn’t personally been in those spots, looked around and gone, ‘yep, nothing here’. We have completely mapped out the ocean floors, we know 95% of the ocean is completely empty, no need to go look. A giant creature doing laps in the middle of nowhere would have been spotted.

Lastly, the only physical evidence we’ve found that relates to Megalodons dates back to about 3.6 to 4 million years old. No new evidence has shown up, not a single tooth, no corpses, absolutely nothing.

So yeah, scientists are pretty certain it’s not here anymore.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Every living creature leaves behind some sort of “footprint”, and that is especially true for apex predators like the great Megalodon. Aside from stuff like teeth and bones, a monster of that size ***will*** reshape the whole ecosystem around it so unless they somehow developed the ability to hibernate for millions of year, for whatever reason, Megalodon is definitely off the menu.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Firstly, the Megalodon was thought to live in the tropics and coastal areas, not in deep water, obviously this would make it very difficult to miss. If it existed we’d probably find it 200 metres off a popular beach, not in the middle of nowhere.

Secondly, marine biologists would notice an apex predator. It’s one of the most vital roles in a food chain, a Megalodon would be eating tons, it would have a massive impact on any ecosystem it finds itself in. Marine biologists are constantly tracking and monitoring animal behaviour and ecosystems, we’d notice it.

Thirdly, when we say 95% of the world’s oceans are unexplored, we mean that a human hasn’t personally been in those spots, looked around and gone, ‘yep, nothing here’. We have completely mapped out the ocean floors, we know 95% of the ocean is completely empty, no need to go look. A giant creature doing laps in the middle of nowhere would have been spotted.

Lastly, the only physical evidence we’ve found that relates to Megalodons dates back to about 3.6 to 4 million years old. No new evidence has shown up, not a single tooth, no corpses, absolutely nothing.

So yeah, scientists are pretty certain it’s not here anymore.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Megalodon is an enormous coastal, surface dwelling shark and most of the unexplored ocean is in far remote areas where there is basically nothing there but water so it’s pretty safe to say we would definitely have seen one if it were to be swimming around. We also have the knowledge that giant size predators have been lost in evolution in general due to the fact it is just not feasible to meet the dietary requirements of giant carnivorous predators. Great question though

Anonymous 0 Comments

Every living creature leaves behind some sort of “footprint”, and that is especially true for apex predators like the great Megalodon. Aside from stuff like teeth and bones, a monster of that size ***will*** reshape the whole ecosystem around it so unless they somehow developed the ability to hibernate for millions of year, for whatever reason, Megalodon is definitely off the menu.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Megalodon is an enormous coastal, surface dwelling shark and most of the unexplored ocean is in far remote areas where there is basically nothing there but water so it’s pretty safe to say we would definitely have seen one if it were to be swimming around. We also have the knowledge that giant size predators have been lost in evolution in general due to the fact it is just not feasible to meet the dietary requirements of giant carnivorous predators. Great question though