Who doesn't know him, the Megalodon. One of the most intriguing, gigantic and terrifying predators of our prehistory. The Megalodon, also known as a true apex predator.
It is a shark species that dominated the oceans for thousands of years and still lives on in the hearts and minds of scientists and collectors. In this blog, we will explore together whether the Megalodon also swam in our European waters.
What was the Megalodon?
Before we dive deeper into the story, it is of course useful to know what the Megalodon actually is. Of course, we have already briefly discussed it above and explained that it is a species of shark, but did you also know that it was the largest shark species and the heaviest shark species? The Megalodon also known by its scientific name Otodus megalodon, was a prehistoric species of shark that lived about 23 to 3.6 million years ago, from the Oligocene to the Pliocene. This giant shark could reach lengths of up to 18 metres, a weight of 40 to 60,000 kilos and had a biting force estimated at around 40,000 psi
The teeth of the Megalodon were particularly impressive, some could reach 18 centimetres in length. These teeth are often the only remnants of the Megalodon that we find, as shark skeletons consist mainly of cartilage, which naturally does not fossilise well.
Megalodon in Europe
We know that the Megalodon basically occurred worldwide, but we are still curious. Did this monster species also swim around in our Europe? Let's take a look at that.
Fossil finds
Looking at the fossil evidence, we see that the Megalodon was found all over the world. Indeed, teeth and miraculously vertebrae have been found in both North and South America, Africa, Australia and Asia. But what about Europe?
Megalodon teeth have also been found in Europe in various locations, including England, Germany, France, Belgium and even the Netherlands. These finds show us that the Megalodon had also settled in the prehistoric waters of Europe, which at that time had a totally different landscape from today. At the time of the Megalodon, we also had a warmer climate and higher sea levels. So if we start thinking back, what is now land used to be water.
Archaeological evidence
For example, a site was discovered in the North Sea where, after much diving, an awful lot of prehistoric animal remains were found. A whole lot of those finds were Megalodon teeth. This is further testimony to the fact that the Megalodon really was here.
In addition, finds in Mediterranean waters also show that the Megalodon presumably preferred to transport itself through warmer waters, hunting large whale species and other marine animals that were here.
Life of the Megalodon
We know that the Megalodon belonged to the apex predator category, meaning, of course, that it was at the top of the food chain and was not a direct source of food. Of course, the Megalodon itself did hunt constantly. Let's look at hunting behaviour, for example.
Hunting behaviour
As we have just mentioned, the Megalodon were apex predators. They had a diet consisting mainly of larger and medium-sized marine animals, such as whales, but also prehistoric seals and large fish. It appears that the seas of ancient Europe would have been incredibly rich in food.
Incidentally, the Megalodon was also known to be a fearsome hunter; you can compare their hunting method somewhat to that of today's white shark. This involved the Megalodon going in on prey and biting it. Then the Megalodon would have shaken the prey vigorously from side to side to tear off pieces of meat from its prey. Presumably, it went for the prey's fins first to then deliver the final blow from the underside.
The fascination with Megalodon teeth
We know that the teeth of the Megalodon not only serve as interest for scientists, in fact, they also serve as a fascinating collectible for fossil enthusiasts. They owe this to their size, sharpness and also the weight of the tooth. This makes them a spectacular memento of prehistoric times. You will therefore find that many museums that focus mainly on prehistoric times like to display Megalodon teeth.
Conclusion
We at Megalodontand.nl are happy to let the legend of the Megalodon live on by selling its teeth. In a way, we are also incredibly proud of the fact that the Megalodon swam around in our former waters. The finds made in Europe have given us, scientists and many a collector a picture of the distribution and behaviour of this monstrous shark species. The most wonderful thing about fossils is that the more we find around the world, the clearer the picture of past times becomes.