Megalodon

Epic card · No. 11814

Otodus megalodon ( MEG-əl-ə-don; meaning "big tooth"), commonly known as megalodon, is an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.58 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Early Pliocene epochs. It was once considered a member of the family Lamnidae and a close relative of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), but is now classified in the extinct family Otodontidae, which diverged from the lineage leading to modern great white sharks during the Early Cretaceous. Megalodon is regarded as one of the largest and most powerful predators to have ever lived, although its fragmentary fossil record leaves its appearance and maximum size uncertain. Scientists have debated whether its body was more robust or elongated than that of modern lamniform sharks. Proposed maximum length estimates range from 14.2 to 24.3 m (47 to 80 ft), while the estimated modal length across juveniles and adults is approximately 10.5 m (34 ft). Its thick, robust...

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