Unlike Godzilla, King Kong or other giant monsters, the megalodon actually existed and once called the oceans of planet Earth home. That in itself is an astonishing fact when one dissects the facts about this terrible leviathan.
Name:
Megalodon
Meaning:
Big Tooth
Looked like:
A gigantic, somehow more terrifying Great White
Lived:
Approximately 23 to 2.6 million years ago
Where:
Every damn place
Size:
60 feet, 30 times heavier than Great White
Speed:
11 miles per hour
Teeth:
Numerous at 7.25 inches. Triangular in shape, robust with fine serrations
What it ate:
Giant sea turtles, whales, seals, whatever it damn-well pleased
Extinction:
Likely caused by climate change and an ecosystem that shifted away from the massive prey targets that made being a megalodon so much fun.
Read LIW‘s interview with Steve Alten, author of The Meg:
