Megalodon extinction - 22 August 2022

Three million years ago, giant sharks, called megalodon, lived on Earth. But they became extinct. For many years, scientists tried to understand why they disappeared.

The meaning of megalodon is "big tooth." It had large teeth and lived from 22 million years ago until three million years ago. It was three times bigger than the great white shark. It grew up to 18 metres long and weighed over 60 tonnes.

The megalodon's extinction was a mystery. Researchers had many possible reasons. Some believed that environmental changes and lack of food made the giant sharks die.

Recently, scientists discovered some megalodon teeth and have studied them. They used the teeth of the megalodon and the great white shark to understand their diet. Zinc was found in the teeth. This means both sharks hunted the same animals for food. Megalodons couldn't get enough food for their size. This competition for food might be responsible for the megalodon's extinction.