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Megalodon invites us to follow the evidence: serrated teeth, fossil bones and the clues researchers use to reconstruct a shark we have never seen alive.
This was a massive marine predator! Terrifying and awesome all at the same time. This guide has links to previous articles and fun facts you can explore to learn more about this amazing animal.
It also answers some of the most common questions asked about this big beastie so you can have them at your fingertips. And keep an eye on those fingers, these big boys bite. Stay safe as we explore its teeth, size, meals and place in ancient seas.
START WITH THE BIG QUESTIONS
Was megalodon a giant great white? How large did it grow? Could it still be alive? Begin with Is Megalodon Still Alive? 10 Big Questions About the Biggest Shark.
FROM THE FOSSIL HUNTRESS ARCHIVE
Visit Megalodon: Apex Predator of the Deep, an earlier story featuring Cam Muskelly for scale. Published in 2020, it reflects older reconstructions; read it alongside the newer questions-and-answers article for updated discussion of size and body shape.
READ THE TEETH
A giant tooth preserves more than its impressive size. Explore the crown, root, serrations and fossil colours in Megalodon Teeth: What One Giant Tooth Can Tell Us, including the classroom exercise that challenged how researchers measured the shark behind the teeth.
LOOK CLOSELY AT A TOOTH
Choose a clear fossil tooth photograph. Find the root, follow the crown to its tip and look for serrations along the edges. Is the tip complete? Are the edges worn? Is there a scale?
Write down what you can see, then one question the photograph cannot answer. We begin with observation—and follow the clues.
KEEP EXPLORING
This is a growing collection. Future stories will take a closer look at megalodon teeth, estimates of its enormous size, evidence of its meals, ancient nurseries and its disappearance from the oceans.
For another journey beneath ancient waves, explore Ammonites: A Guide to Ancient Oceans.
