Although the date of the megalodon's extinction has not been completely determined, it is indeed no longer an extant species.
The “Megalodon” was the ancient lord of the oceans. It once “ruled” the oceans for over 20 million years. However, scientists discovered, by studying their fossils, that they became extinct around 2.6 million years ago (undetermined). However, in recent years, rumors have circulated on the Internet that the megalodon is still alive and appearing in the waters of South Africa.
The Megalodon is obviously an extinct shark, so why are there still rumors? There are two answers: first, the date of Megalodon's extinction is uncertain; secondly, due to the influence of certain films, existing sharks are confused with Megalodon.
Let's talk about the first point first: the time of extinction of the megalodon is uncertain.Seeing this sentence, many friends will wonder: Wasn't the extinction time of megalodon mentioned at the beginning? Why do you say you're not sure now?
Don't worry, let's talk slowly. First of all, the megalodon is a kind of cartilaginous fish. It is extremely difficult for cartilaginous fish to form fossils under natural conditions, so far scientists have only done this. discovered a relatively complete megalodon fossil (only a few vertebrae and teeth). This megalodon fossil was discovered in Peru in the 1920s. Fossil sample IRSNB3121 is 9.2 meters long.