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Discover the Colossal: Top 9 Fun Facts About Megalodons You Won't Believe!

illustration of megalodons
Dive into the mysterious depths of the prehistoric world, and get ready to sink your teeth into these jaw-dropping fun facts about the fascinating megalodon!

1. Megalodon Mega-Bite

You know how your mom always warned you about "biting off more than you can chew"? Well, she definitely wasn't talking about megalodons: These prehistoric behemoths had jaws spanning an unbelievable 9 x 11 feet, boasting the most powerful bite force of any creature known to man at a staggering 40,000 pounds per square inch!
Source => oceanconservancy.org

2. Cold-Blooded Size Queens

You know what they say: Size matters, especially when you're a megalodon trying to survive in an Ice Age episode of "Game of Thrones." Brrr! Seriously, it's colder than a White Walker's heart out here: Recent studies found that megalodons varied in size based on their geographic location, with those in colder waters growing larger to better retain heat, according to Bergmann's rule. So, not all megalodons were created equal - their massive size depended on their chilly address!
Source => smithsonianmag.com

3. Spielberg's Megalodon Nightmare

If Steven Spielberg had cast a megalodon in Jaws, the movie might have been called "Jumbo Jaws" or "The Megalodon Strikes Back": the megalodons went extinct around 3.6 million years ago, but if they were around today, they would have been much larger and exponentially more terrifying than the great white shark that captivated moviegoers.
Source => jpost.com

4. Ultimate Ocean Road Warriors

Next time you're stuck in traffic, spare a thought for the megalodon, the Jaws of the Jurassic age, who could put current "speed demons" to shame with its brisk ocean commutes: Despite their massive size, weighing approximately 70 tons (equal to 10 elephants), megalodons boasted impressive cruising speeds, letting them easily migrate across vast oceans and snack on fellow sea giants, asserting their position as bona fide superpredators.
Source => 9news.com

Megalodon's Titanic Teeth

5. Megalodon's Titanic Teeth

If Megalodons were around today, they'd make Jaws look like a chew toy for their teething problems: These whale-munching behemoths sported teeth the size of a human hand, coated in enamel, and they've left their dental records scattered across the globe, from North America to Oceania.
Source => prehistoricoregon.com

6. Paleo-Nursery Escape

Like a shark-version of daycare, but with a lot more splashing: megalodons, the now-extinct behemoths of the ocean, utilized paleo-nursery areas in Panama's late Miocene Gatun Formation for the protection and survival of their young ones - the first ever such discovery in the Neotropics.
Source => journals.plos.org

7. Sneaky Megalodon Takedowns

Whoever said "slow and steady wins the race" must have had megalodons in mind: These massive prehistoric sharks were more sneaky ambush predators than speed demons, using their formidable size and strength to take down even the largest whales in a stealthy game of "bite and gulp".
Source => ocean.si.edu

8. Megalodon Dental Drama

Even ancient megalodons weren't immune to the toothy grasp of dental drama: these formidable sharks, wielding teeth up to 7 inches long, had complex root systems which could harbor debris and bacteria, leading to agonizing toothaches, tooth loss, and even life-threatening infections.
Source => whalefacts.org

9. Megalodon's Tooth Fairy Tales

Forget dentists and tooth fairies, Megalodons had the ultimate dental plan: These voracious aquatic beasts never worried their pretty little heads about toothaches or losing teeth, as they simply shed and replaced them – thousands of times, no less! Scuba divers often collect these dental souvenirs from rivers and coastlines, making for a hefty supply of Megalodon tooth fairy tales.
Source => fossilera.com

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