Recent discoveries of species like the coelacanths and the megamouth shark, which was previously thought they were extinct, had fuelled the belief among believers that the megalodon could still be alive. Our depth of warm ocean knowledge is much stronger than that of the cold oceans, meaning we would have noticed a giant shark at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if there are megs outs there. 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. What If We Woke Up Volcanoes to Fight Climate Change? The megalodon wasn't alone in this global cooling extinction, however. The deepest part of the Mariana Trench, Challenger Deep, stretches 10,984 m (36,037 ft) down. Unlikely. The cooling of the planet may have contributed to its supposed demise in a number of different ways. What If the World Lost Oxygen for an Hour? It's a juicy bit of ancient history that has inspired a host of books, documentaries and blockbuster films, some of which like to imagine that this bloody thirsty monster is still alive today, lurking somewhere out there in the mysterious deep. And no photosynthesis means not much food. In fact, the term "megalodon" actually means "large tooth.". Kudos! Very likely in my opinion, given how little of the oceans we have explored thus far. Our ships could have great radars to track, and weapons to keep at a distance the megalodon. Theyre metabolism are slow. Megalodon Still Exists to Some Extent, Scientists Say. Plus, their jaws were also a bit flatter than that of the great white. What Animals Live In The Mariana Trench? (Solved) Given that it was a massive shark with noticeable feeding habits, we guess that if Megalodon sharks were still roaming the oceans, they would probably have been spotted by someone by now. The most watched clip was reported to have been filmed at the bottom of the Mariana Trench and appears to show a giant shark scouring the sea floor. Please keep these people away from the voting booths! Take even the big mouth shark that wasn't even discovered until 1976 because they normally swim from 400-500 feet under water durring the day and only come up to about 100-200 ft during the night. Megalodon Facts For Kids & Adults: The World's Biggest Ever Shark From there, its up to you to decide whether the megalodon is alive or went extinct millions of years ago. ", Evs wrote:"I think they went deeper into the seas like the giant squid which is why we never see them.". One of the reasons the megamouth remained hidden from science for so long was because it is believed to exhibit a pattern of diurnal vertical migration. While we don't know exactly when the last megalodon existed, experts believe it was somewhere between 3.5 and 3.6 million years ago. ", Another added: Our oceans are huge and there are vast areas that are still unexplored. Before 2000, a probe was dropped of a research ship to take water samples at lower depths in the Mariana trench. What If the World Lost Oxygen for Five Seconds? What If the Megalodon Was Hiding in the Mariana Trench? One way that we know these megatooth sharks ate large creatures is through fossilized whale bones. However, Emma Bernard, curator of the National History Museums fossil fish collection, says megalodons can not be around today. However, researchers have estimated the megalodon had a bite force of between 108,514 and 182,201N. This fact alone is enough for most researchers to conclude that Megalodon is extinct. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. There's no food for it down there, and no other shark species are known to thrive that deep. Its deepest point, Challenger Deep, reaches to a depth of nearly 11,000 meters (36,000 feet or nearly 7 miles). And their suspicions have been fuelled by several unexplained videos posted on the web said to show the giant beast thriving today. Great white sharks are frequent visitors to the Sea of Cortez as well, and some have been known to dive to surprising depths. Bad Brad*9 wrote: "Our oceans are huge and there are vast areas that are still unexplored. The Megamouth Shark is a massive fish reaching 20 feet in length or more. But is it possible that Megalodon is still alive? A giant shark caught on camera scouring the bottom of the Mariana Trench has sparked debate about if megalodons still exist. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. I think the Megalodon The shark is in the marian trench. Some of these whale skeletons include fossil shark teeth in them, which likely broke off during a predator-prey battle a few million years back. 10 Strange Animals in the Mariana Trench | Ocean Info The Megalodon (Otodus megalodon), is an extinct species of shark, arguably one of the largest, if not the largest marine predator that has ever lived. 1. One megalodon fossil was said to have been found near Peru, which included a small string of vertebrae, the braincase, and teeth. Besides there has been sighting of ol' Meg, yeah you can't trust everything, bbbbbuuuuutttttttt you have to count your losses. To maintain its body temperature, our megalodon would have to be warm-blooded. US NOAA (Scot Anderson) [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons. We take 23,000 breaths a day; trying to get oxygen to our brain and cells. Some believe its is proof megaladons are not exticnt while others say its bears a very strong resemblance to a sleeper shark. I think that the Megalodon shark still exists but not necessarily in the Mariana Trench. Throughout the years, many documentaries were made, however, most of them are based on false assumptions, with fake stories, videos, and pictures. Is it really possible that small populations of Megalodon Sharks evolved to feed on prey in very deep water, and because of this managed to avoid extinction? Could Underwater's monsters really exist deep in the Mariana Trench How could it withstand the immense pressure? i think the meg lives in the ocens but maby not the mirina trench, It could have reproduced and they all stayed down there and ate the squids. It is believed that the megalodon lived in tropical and sub-tropical waters throughout the world. Does the Megalodon Shark live in the Mariana Trench, deep in the darkest part of the ocean? There is no mistaking the 15 cm (6 in) teeth of the largest apex predator, the megalodon. the most common sightings are in the Mariana Treach. What sharks live in Mariana Trench? - Daily Justnow Yes. How could it withstand the immense pressure? Supersized themselves into a massive proportion. the megalodon shark can still live in the depths. Shark Week: Could Megalodon still be alive today? What Would Happen if We Dig a Hole Straight Through Earth. Well, its teeth and bones might not be in great shape. Despite what you may have heard on the Discovery Channel back in the day, true ocean experts say that there is no way the megalodon still exists in the deep oceans. The megalodon was one of the most powerful predators to have ever lived. They say the giant had become extinct by the end of the Pliocene period,when the planet entered a phase of global cooling. 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. Creatures down there are almost in sleep all year so they dont have to eat so much. The Mariana Trench is about as remote as it gets, and even a massive shark would be very hard to find. We know more about the surface of Mars than we do about our oceans. As for why we can not find them the ocean is a big place, plus we have not found all the animals on earth. For example, an image from 2016 appeared to show a 60-foot shark in Japans Suruga Bay. This fact alone is enough for most researchers to conclude that Megalodon is extinct. Divisions in the Debate Over the Existence of a Megalodon in the Ocean Trench. The giant prehistoric shark, called a megalodon, ate everything in its path and was said to lurk in the Earths deepest oceans. What Lives In The Mariana Trench? - Toyseen The killer predator was three times longer and 40 times heavier than the largest ever recorded great white shark. Some sharks can lose entire sets of teeth every week, depending on what they eat. And there is a genuine modern-day precedent for gigantic sharks remaining hidden from the rest of the world. Megalodon really did exist. Firstly, the trench is too deep for the animal to survive in. I think it s possible that this creature is still a live at least 99% in the bottom of the Mariana trench with all stuff i have read that is where the last Megalodon shark really is. We know this because we have found megalodon teeth in deep seas around the globe in every ocean except the Antarctic. 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. Like digging a hole into the Mariana Trench. More to the point, since no sharks exist below 12,000 feet, and no large prey items, it seems highly unlikely that Megalodon would have evolved to live at such depth. At first, many thought it was a Pacific Sleeper Shark. Has a megalodon been found in the Mariana Trench? - Quora It is possible that megalodon is still alive, looking at it from a biblical point of view, because of the flood any prehistoric sea creatures to still be alive. What Shark Lives In The Mariana Trench? - Sweetish Hill Taking a fresh look at the fossil record, researchers are now proposing that this mega marine creature may have been killed off by none other than the modern great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). They believe the massive megalodon- focus of the new Jason Statham film The Meg - has successfully evaded detection for millions of years. Megalodon's maximum size is inferred because we do not actually have a whole preserved Megalodon. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Despite its size, the megalodon is no match for us. Fast forward 2 million years and the great white shark had spread all across the globe. She added the megalodon would not be able to survive in the cold waters of the deep, where it would stand a better chance of going unnoticed. Those are the tools needed to exist at the Mariana Trench. And experts say there has been no reports of any whales which have been attacked by a predator large enough to be a megalodon. Are megalodon still alive in the Mariana Trench? Experts believe that a third of the world's large marine creatures went extinct when the world's temperatures plummeted, including sea birds and turtles. cryptid: Good point. there is a 49% chance of a megalodon still living in the depths. 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. On 4 October 2016, the Facebook page Buzz Channel published a video purportedly showing a 50-foot megaladon (a gigantic species of shark that has been extinct for millions of years) at the bottom of the MarianaTrench, the deepest part of Pacific Ocean: Absolutely Terrifying #Breaking #50ftShark. So that's my point of view. The megalodon had a cosmopolitan distribution, it preferred warmer waters, and its main prey were whales, sea turtles, and seals. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. The Creature That Killed Off The Giant Megalodon Might Still Live in Others cope by being very small and needing less food to survive. This material may not be reproduced without permission. Their teeth are widely spaced between 19 and 28 in the upper jaw and 21 to 29 in the lower jaw. What If the Megalodon Was Hiding in the Mariana Trench? ive wanted to be a marine biologist for many years. So it is a possibility but highly unlikely. Its appearance and the maximum size are debatable, and the assumptions we have today are based on the size of its teeth. In fact, one of Megalodon's ancient competitors was a massive predatory Sperm Whale with foot-long teeth known as Livyatan Melvillei. Another Last Known Megalodon Seen Diving in the Gulf of Mexico. There are no "official" sightings on record. 3 things that can happen 1 it dies from starvation 2 it dies from the pressure 3 it dies from the cold there's literally no fucking way for the meg to live in the mariana trench 2 3 Quora User Morgan Stanley Alum & Chief Financial Officer at Masterworks Updated Feb 8 Promoted The reason people typically reconstruct the megalodon as a large great white is because many thought they were related for a long time. Ill Take a deep breath. The Megalodon (Otodus megalodon), is an extinct species of shark, arguably one of the largest, if not the largest marine predator that has ever lived. ' No, not at all. I love reading on Megalodon, your pages are very well written and raise some very interesting questions. I don't think this shark is still out there because there is no real evidence that this big shark is still out there. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Not so much. It is believed to have died around three million years ago, though there are plenty who still believe it is alive today. But with so many custom fittings and edits to its genetic structure, would it still be the terrifying megalodon we know? 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. But this diet plan would not work for this ancient, warm-water-dwelling apex predator. Some say megalodon, if it is still around, likely lives in very deep water such as the Mariana Trench. The reality is that with so little research, it is impossible to know what lies in the depths of the Mariana Trench.Subscribe to Bright Side : https://goo.gl/rQTJZz----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Our Social Media:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightside/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightgram/5-Minute Crafts Youtube: https://www.goo.gl/8JVmuC----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------For more videos and articles visit:http://www.brightside.me/ Taking a fresh look at the fossil record, researchers are now proposing that this mega marine creature may have been killed off by none other than the modern great white shark ( Carcharodon carcharias ). In this article, well explore several theories, including the one where the megalodon is still alive, and later on see the evidence the studies have shown. For now, megalodon is considered to be extinct. In this case, the Pacific tectonic plate is moving very slowly to the west, and pressure is pushing it down into the Earth's crust where it meets the Philippine Plate. Is it really possible a shark could live at those depths? They preferred warmer waters, and with the colder temperatures, their natural habitat started to reduce, resulting in fewer numbers of megalodon sharks. If Megalodon still exists and feeds on whales, we'd see evidence on whales that survived attacks, just as we see evidence of great white shark attacks on lucky seals that managed to escape. Would you ever go swimming in the ocean with the thought that a monster shark might be lurking near you? Megalodon Sightings: Is the Megalodon Shark Still Alive Today? Scientists have not captured concrete evidence of Mega, yet. Many sharks can go through around 40,000 teeth during their lives. When lifting the probe back up from the depths, it caught on an invisible object even though there was nothing between the ship and the sea floor. However, that wont stop certain types of people to believe that the megalodon never went extinct, and its still alive. A new study has once again confirmed that this is not the case. In all likeliness, we'll eventually discover something just as incredible as the largest shark in existence. Then return to the deep during the day. 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. Precisely when the last megalodon died out is not known, but it was sometime between 3.6 and 2.6 million years ago. 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. At its deepest, at a spot called Challenger Deep, the Marina Trench measures over 35,000 feet. Youre in the deepest part of our oceans. Probably not. While that may be disheartening to Megalodon believers, in a way it's also encouraging. Stories of massive sharks have circulated in the region for decades, and some believe the Megalodon Shark still lurks in the depths. The Mariana Trench is the deepest oceanic trench on earth.The lowest point is known as the Challenger Deep, and it is believed to have a maximum depth of 36,037 feet / 10,984 meters below the ocean's surface.. Eyewitness accounts are, unfortunately, biased by the knowledge and experience of the witness. Megalodon is NOT alive today, it went extinct around 3.5 million years ago. There's no evidence that the long-extinct megalodon shark is hiding inside the Mariana Trench. To put the length into perspective, in 1,500 miles you could fit all the states between Florida and Massachusetts. Look at fish. The last place that megalodon sharks would go if they were still alive would be the Mariana Trench. An expert on ancient sharks told National Geographic that he is not convinced that just one species can cause such a decline. As for where ol' Meg lives perhaps he just roams the seas like a great white. A large, undescribed shark waiting to be documented? But in reality, these animals were a little shorter than the 23-metre-long fictional monster it depicted. And how would the Mariana Trench make this apex predator more docile?Transcript and sources: https://whatifshow.com/what-if-the-megalodon-was-hiding-in-the-mariana-trench/00:00 The Apex Predator01:04 We Know More About Mars Than our Oceans02:42 How would the megalodon shark get its food?04:21 What are piezolytes?Questions or concerns? Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what you think is possible. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Most likely not. The only way the scientific community is able to make these size estimates is because of megalodon teeth. For one, no shark has ever been recorded living down there, let alone one as big as a Megalodon. What If the Megalodon Shark Fought the Mosasaurus? From single celled organisms to sea creatures and more. ould Megalodon sharks still be alive in the deepest parts of the ocean? Does the Megalodon Shark still live, deep in the Mariana Trench? By comparison, that's about 6,000 feet deeper than Mount Everest is tall. "The extinction of O. megalodon was previously thought to be related to this marine mass extinction - but in reality, we now know the two are not immediately related,"explainslead author Robert Boessenecker, a vertebrate paleontologist at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. It just means a large amount of prey, or a very slow and long life at low temperatures. But, if it did, it would live in the upper part of the water over the trench rather than in its depths. Not only was the megalodon shark the largest shark to ever exist, but it was also the largest fish in existence. If it is true, then the megalodons must evolve a set of tools to deal with the depth. The huge predator can be seen swimming over what seems to be an abandoned shark cage. For twenty million years, the world's oceans were home to a monstrous shark, named the 'megalodon'. Instead, he suggests the authors may have overlooked other culprits, like the modern tiger shark, which also shared similar territory to the juvenile megalodon. What if there is an unknown massive superpredator that evolved to live in deep waters that can support the population of Megalodons? However, most scientists agree that it would be impossible for a living megalodon colony to exist without our knowing about it. However, there are plenty who clearly believe the ferocious beast IS still alive today and lurking in the depths of the world's seas. The megalodon, undoubtedly one of the most popular sharks ever, has been the king of the ocean for millions of years. They can crash boats, but we are smart and more than capable to build big and well-equipped ships. So what if the largest apex predator never went extinct, like we thought it did? It really is the final frontier (on Earth). The earliest version of this video we . Something went wrong, please try again later. The earliest fossils of megalodon date back more than 23 million years, making it very unlikely that the species is still alive today. Scientists say that the megalodon shark grew between 49 and 60 feet in length. No, this isnt the result of All over the world, people are treating bodies of water like they are giant garbage dumps. People who readily assume megalodon exists today probably also believe in extraterrestrials and biblical miracles. The giant creature, not surprisingly, choked to death and was later appropriately named the megamouth shark. The Sea of Cortez is a body of water between the Baja Peninsula and Mexico. Anything is possible. Thought to have died out 65m years ago, two species of the 350m-year-old fish were discovered living in deep sea canyons off the African coast. cryptid (author) from USA on September 14, 2014: Thanks for the kind words, Natalie. What do you say we try to survive on an Earth document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Making science accessible on social media since 2017. Look at fake documentaries from the Discovery Channel or photos from typical reconstructions, and the megalodon almost looks like a great white shark, yet way bigger. It's definitely not alive in the deep oceans, despite what the Discovery Channel has said in the past,' notes Emma. Great White Sharks have been recorded diving as deep as 4,000 feet. What people report seeing could be just a very large shark of another species. The only part of the megalodon fossils that remain is the teeth. ' No. Scientists believe that with such huge teeth, this enormous shark most likely ate meat, including large fish, whales, and any other kinds of large marine animals it could wrap its jaw around. Some people believe that the megalodon could live in the Mariana trench, but thats virtually impossible. Therefore, when the environmental changes occurred that led to the extinction of the Megalodon Shark, the population that lived at great depths continued to thrive while the sharks who lived in shallower water died off. This video wasn't "breaking," it didn't show a 50-foot shark, it wasn't filmed in the Mariana Trench, and it absolutely didn't capture an extinct megalodon. While the megalodon does not exist any longer, the vast ocean is still deeply unexplored, leaving us with millions of unanswered questions. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. To put that in context, the average ocean depth is 12,000 feet, only a third of the Trench. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. Obviously, if such a creature still existed it would be visible and well-known. Studies reconstructing the shark's bite force suggest it may have been one of the most powerful predators ever to have lived. I'm looking forward to reading more of your articles. The temperature hovers around 2 C (35.6 F) all year round. It is said to have been 40 times heavier and three times longer than the largest ever great white shark. Megalodon teeth give us a surprising amount of information about this shark, including what it ate and what it looked like. It is rich in sea life, with several species of large whales in residence. Conspiracy theorists believe the megalodon has managed to successfully avoid detection for millions of years.