Megalodon sculpture

The Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) was a prehistoric shark that lived between 23 and 3.6 million years ago, during the Cenozoic. Although extinct, scientists have been able to reconstruct its appearance from fossils, mainly its teeth and a few vertebrae. Here's what the Megalodon looked like, and how it compares to modern sharks:

Size and general appearance

Size: Megalodon was one of the largest marine predators ever to exist. It could reach lengths estimated at between 15 and 18 meters, with some estimates pushing as high as 20 meters. By comparison, the modern great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) typically reaches maximum lengths of around 6 meters.

Build: Megalodon had a massive, robust body, proportionately wider than that of modern sharks. Its overall appearance was reminiscent of sharks, but with a more imposing and powerful structure.

Teeth and Jaws

Teeth: Megalodon teeth are among the largest ever discovered, some measuring over 18 centimetres in height. They are triangular, thick and serrated, adapted for slicing and tearing the flesh of large prey.

Jaws: Its jaws were extremely powerful, capable of generating immense biting force, enough to crush bones and pierce thick shells.

Comparison with Modern Sharks

Body shape: Although Megalodon is often compared to the great white shark, it is more accurate to say that it shared a similar body shape with the great lamniform sharks (order Lamniformes). However, recent studies suggest that it was probably closer to mako sharks in its overall body structure, despite being much larger.

Fins: its pectoral and dorsal fins were proportionally larger and more robust, helping to its immense size and maintain stability while swimming.

Ecology & Behavior: Like today's large marine predators, Megalodon was probably an apex predator, feeding on large cetaceans, fish and other marine creatures. Its behavior would have been similar to that of great white sharks, but on a much larger scale.

Differences and characteristics

Adaptations: Megalodon had specific adaptations for hunting large prey. Its massive teeth and powerful bite enabled it to effectively kill large cetaceans, an ecological niche that modern large sharks also occupy, but with generally smaller prey.

Extinction: The exact reasons for the Megalodon's extinction are not fully understood, but factors such as ocean cooling, falling sea levels, reduced populations of large prey and competition with other marine predators (such as the ancestors of orcas) probably played a role.

In summary, although Megalodon shares characteristics with modern sharks, particularly the large lamniform sharks, it was unique in its massive size and specific adaptations for predation on large marine prey.

Model information :

Total number of parts: 2

Solid information

Wall thickness: 0.1 mm

Format: DEA, MLT, X3D, OBJ, SLT, FBX, blend