Among the most iconic prehistoric animals are the enormous dinosaurs on land and the gigantic megalodon in the sea. The more we know about the great shark that dominated the oceans 22 million years ago, the more it is recognized as an extraordinary creature to which many feel an almost magnetic attraction. And although paleontologists and marine life experts say that the shark became extinct 3 million years ago, there are those who believe that the megalodon still lives in the depths of the ocean.
The great megalodon shark existed in the Cenozoic period, but its existence is known thanks to fossil remains found in various areas. According to the fossils found, their jaws are clear proof of their predation capacity, in addition to their large triangular teeth that measure up to 17 centimeters.
This is why it has been shown that it was a large animal, although on many occasions this is taken out of context to exaggerate the size it could have had. As far as we know and according to scientific evidence, the megalodon measured up to 16 meters in length, with a head greater than 4 meters and a dorsal fin of up to almost 2 meters. Without a doubt it was a large marine predator.
Many believe that the megalodon still survives
The depths of the ocean are still a mystery to man, perhaps due to the evident physical inability to submerge at high pressures and without oxygen in the form of gas, man has not yet been able to fully analyze the immense ecosystem that inhabits the oceans. Most of the deepest marine regions remain unexplored and therefore the number of creatures that inhabit them and have not yet been discovered is unknown.
It is precisely this reason that strongly fuels why the megalodon continues to stalk its prey in the furthest part of the sea surface. The argument also arises from the belief that the ocean, being almost completely unexplored, maintains burrows of primitive animals such as the ancient shark, which is until now the oldest animal in the world.
In that sense, many lovers of prehistoric creatures argue that the megalodon could still exist outside the reach of human exploration. Just as has happened with other prehistoric animals, according to them, the megalodon could have evolved to adapt to the new needs of the ocean. It is to be expected then that the appearance of the fearsome shark would not be the same as it was millions of years ago, but rather that due to changes in its habitat, it would have changed shape until reaching an appearance that we would not know for now.
To date, fossil remains of these sharks have still been found in places such as Japan, Panama, and the southeastern United States. However, the conservation of fossils over millions of years has not been so fortunate due to the salinity of the sea. Despite the excitement of thinking that these marine giants still live in the depths of the sea, there is no reliable information that can even shed a ray of light. At least according to science, it became extinct 3 million years ago.