Here's How Big Megalodon Sharks Really Were

The megalodon shark has been the subject of movies and documentaries, and although it has been extinct for millions of years, the sheer size of the sea creature can scare people and prevent them from going into the ocean. The megalodon was the biggest shark known to have roamed the ocean, and scientists have studied fossils and megalodon teeth to learn more about the creature.

According to scientific research, as reported by The Conversation, the megalodon swam in the oceans for millions of years before they went extinct at the end of the Pliocene Epoch, a time when the earth began to cool after the warm Miocene period. The name megalodon was derived from the Greek language and means "giant tooth." The name is fitting, as scientists use megalodon teeth to make an estimation of how large the sea creatures were.

Since most studies of the megalodon revolve around their teeth, researchers also use existing sharks to create a picture of what the megalodon looked like. Fossilized megalodon teeth are the most common parts found as sharks reportedly go through thousands of teeth in their lifetime, as reported by the Natural History Museum. When their teeth fall off, the teeth fall to the ocean floor and become fossilized. However, researchers have also come across rare megalodon vertebrae that have been fossilized.