Enjoyable information and FAQs about Megalodon, Maryland’s new (and undoubtedly extinct) official state shark – Southern Fried Science

This week, Maryland became the first U.S. State to have an official state shark! Otodus megalodon was a extremely cool shark that’s rightfully beloved by many, and Maryland’s Calvert Cliffs are a serious supply of Megalodon fossils of this superior animal (which is unquestionably and unequivocally super-duper extinct). I needed to affix within the celebration by sharing some enjoyable information, and answering your questions, about these wonderful (and extinct) animals. And I needed to make use of this occassion to share some essential information about sharks and shark conservation.

Me posing with a Megalodon reconstructed skeleton at Calvert Maritime museum,
which has a lot of nice fossils of this definitely-extinct shark.

How large was Megalodon? We don’t know for positive as a result of loads of that is reconstruction based mostly on the fossil document, and sharks have cartilaginous skeletons which don’t fossilize effectively. We can’t simply go measure one within the wild as a result of they’re extinct. But estimates recommend that they might develop to be about sixty ft lengthy, about 3 occasions the scale of an grownup fashionable nice white, with some variation in numerous world populations. Notably, they probably weren’t just super-sized great whites, and sure had an extended skinnier look. Their tooth may every be 6 inches or longer, so it’s no accident that Megalodon means “mega tooth.” They lived in shallow coastal waters all around the world and hunted whales.

When did Megalodon stay? Fossil records of Megaldon have been present in a bunch of locations all around the world, and these inform us that this shark lived from about 23 million years in the past to about three and a half million years in the past. There has not been any proof in anyway of Megalodon since then, particularly not any proof of them nonetheless alive immediately, as a result of they’re extinct.

You appear fairly centered on the truth that they’re extinct. That’s as a result of there’s a weird conspiracy concept claiming that Megalodon will not be extinct and is a risk to you and your loved ones’s security, and that scientists and the federal government are masking it up. Shark Week spread this nonsense. Some of my colleagues have gotten loss of life threats for our supposed position in masking this up. I communicate to hundreds of individuals world wide about marine biology and ocean conservation and I can’t keep in mind the final time nobody requested me about this. You guys, they’re extinct. There isn’t any cowl up.

Why did they go extinct? Scientists believe that Megalodon went extinct, which undoubtedly occurred and no extra are left alive within the oceans immediately, due to a mixture of a altering local weather and altering prey availability, in addition to the evolution of cooperative looking in some toothed whales.

But how have you learnt that they’re extinct? The quick reply is that if there was a 60 foot lengthy shark that bit whales in half that lived in shallow coastal waters, there would be some evidence of this, and there isn’t any. Can we get again to speaking about sharks and shark conservation now?

Look I’m sorry I don’t need to dwell on this however what concerning the Coelacanth? Sigh. Sure, typically scientists assume animals are extinct and uncover that a few of them are nonetheless round. And new species are found on a regular basis. But that doesn’t imply {that a} 60 foot lengthy that bit whales in half and lived in shallow coastal waters is on the market hiding leaving no hint of any type.

What in the event that they moved into deep water like in “The Meg?” Friends, that’s a science fiction film. I really loved it greater than I believed I might, and it was my first-ever paid movie review. (IndieWire not solely paid me for it, however paid for my bar tab, as a result of I advised them that I wasn’t going to look at this film sober). It’s based mostly on a sequence of books, and I like these books a lot that there’s really a marine biologist character based mostly on me in Meg 4: Hell’s Aquarium. I hope that they hold making motion pictures and that I get to select who performs me. But these books additionally claimed that some historical marine reptiles advanced gills and moved into the deep sea, together with Megalodon. That’s simply not how any of this works. Megalodon didn’t change it’s total ecology and physiology and transfer into the deep sea, the species is extinct. It is an ex-shark. It isn’t any extra, it has ceased to be.

But scientists have solely explored 10% of the ocean, how will you know for positive what’s not there? Ok simply cease. This is a bizarre web conspiracy concept with completely no proof. It will not be potential that Megalodon continues to be round. But the excellent news is there are many superior sharks which might be nonetheless alive immediately, and lots of of them want your assist. Can we speak about that now?

We’re virtually out of time right here however positive drop your message about shark conservation I assume. Megalodon is extinct, and sadly many modern-day sharks face a severe danger of extinction themselves, pushed by unsustainable fishing practices. In truth, more than 1/3 of all modern-day species of sharks and their relatives are assessed as threatened with extinction in accordance with the IUCN Red List Species Survival Commission’s Shark Specialist Group. Because of the essential ecosystem roles that these predators play in marine and coastal ecosystems that people rely on for meals and jobs, shark inhabitants declines are unhealthy for everybody. We are higher off with wholesome shark populations off our coasts than we’re with out them, and we’re in peril of shedding many species ceaselessly. You can study extra concerning the threats to sharks and the coverage options to assist defend them in my book Why Sharks Matter, and I share methods that you would be able to assist save sharks on my Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky pages.

What sharks stay in Maryland waters immediately? According to Maryland DNR, there are 41 species of sharks present in Maryland waters, together with within the Chesapeake and off the coast. These embody species you’ve in all probability heard of like bull sharks, species you might not have heard of like Atlantic sharpnose sharks, and everyone’s favourite shark the sandbar shark #GreatestShark. It is my hope that having a state shark will assist elevate consciousness of the sharks alive in our waters immediately, the threats they face, and the way we may help.

Related