Megalodon Facts For Kids
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Megalodon is a prehistoric shark that lived around 2.6 million years ago. It was one of the largest sharks in history, measuring up to 60 feet long – that’s longer than a school bus! Here are some fun and interesting megalodon facts for kids:
1. Megalodon’s name means “big tooth.” This is because it had teeth that were up to 7 inches long – that’s larger than a human hand!
2. Megalodon is now extinct, but it is believed that it lived in oceans all over the world. Fossils of megalodon have been found on every continent except Antarctica.
3. Scientists think that megalodon was a voracious predator that could eat just about anything. It is believed to have fed on whales, sea turtles, seals, and even other sharks!
4. Megalodon’s bite was incredibly powerful – it could exert a force of up to 18 tons! To put that in perspective, a T-Rex’s bite force was around 10 tons.
5. Megalodon’s size was truly enormous – it was about three times as long as the great white shark, which is the largest living predatory fish today.
6. Though megalodon is extinct, scientists can still learn a lot about it from studying its teeth and fossil records. Some researchers believe that megalodon may have had a much wider range of colors than other sharks.
7. Megalodon’s closest living relative is the great white shark, but they diverged from each other about 23 million years ago.
Overall, megalodon is a fascinating creature that captures the imagination of both kids and adults. While we may never know exactly why it went extinct, its legacy lives on in the many fossils and records that we have today. So next time you’re at the beach, keep an eye out for megalodon’s distant relatives – you never know what you might learn!