Is it possible for a Meg (megalodon) to still exist ?

[Fraggle Punk]

I didn't know much about megalodon before responding to this. I just wikipedi
a'd it. It says that megalodon lived until about 1.5MM years ago which is relatively recently on a geological scale. Everyone is familiar with the tale of the Coelecanth, which was thought to have been extinct more than 65MM years ago. So I think it would be more plausible to find an extant megalodon somewhere than some of the other far out theories about dinosaurs still surviving in Loch Ness or the Congo. It's still far out, though. The big drawback to the idea is that where the Coelecanth is a nice small fish that can hide in deep ocean cravasses, the megalodon is huge, and would likely need to feed on other large animals. It's hard to imagine that with the state of our overfished oceans nowadays, that someone wouldn't have noticed some signs of such a creature. But it could be possible.

In Wikipedia, megalodon is classified in the genus Carcharodon, the same as the great white, but there's an unexplained note saying that this classification is disputed. But it does raise the question of whether the great white is a direct decendant in a continuous line -- basically the megalodon which has merely decreased in size in adapting to changing climates.

[Shana OHara]

Probably not. most things in the ocean got well smaller. The shark had to adapt.

[sonofzeal]

If you're intrested in Marine Biology, and cryptozoology in particular, I suggest beginning with The Bloop and extrapolating backwards.

[Appel Juice]

Not possible. The reason sharks shrunk on a evolutionary scale is because all of the prey got smaller.

[Requiem ex Inferni]

It's possible, but it's also possible that some sort of plesiosaur is still living in Loch Ness. It doesn't mean that it's likely.

I'm more concerned about what caused the "Bloop". My theory is Cthulhu.

[Shilberu Erikku]

The Magnificent Unsu

Not likely. Such a large shark would need a lot of food, and a breeding population would eventually leave some sort of clue. Bones or teeth washing up on shore, an anomaly when looking for giant squid in deep waters, something would raise alarm. So, since nothing new has shown up, it's highly unlikely.

I think there is a misunderstanding of the biology and feeding habits of many large undersea predators. The giant squid as well as some other large fauna remained undetected for many many years and were thought to be only legend but as we have seen recently despite men traveling the oceans for thousands of years they are in fact real animals! The giant squid also has a voracious appetite but you don't see them wiping out schools of fish or the fishing industry? These animals stick to the ocean depths and do there feeding there, only rarely venturing to the surface, so the argument that a megalodon or other species of giant shark could not exist because of there feeding habits is not necessarily relevant. We know very little about the deep parts of the oceans which have not been explored in most cases. For all we know the whole Atlantean civilization could be down there and we wouldn't necessarily know it! The giant squid, mountain gorilla and other supposed legendary/extinct species were all discovered after years of eyewitness sightings and reports just like is happening today with the class of species we call cryptids until their existence can be verified by science. Someday the great white shark may turn out to be a small shark compared to what may still exist in the ocean depths?

[Suicidesoldier#1]

Fraggle Punk

I didn't know much about megalodon before responding to this. I just wikipedi
a'd it. It says that megalodon lived until about 1.5MM years ago which is relatively recently on a geological scale. Everyone is familiar with the tale of the Coelecanth, which was thought to have been extinct more than 65MM years ago. So I think it would be more plausible to find an extant megalodon somewhere than some of the other far out theories about dinosaurs still surviving in Loch Ness or the Congo. It's still far out, though. The big drawback to the idea is that where the Coelecanth is a nice small fish that can hide in deep ocean cravasses, the megalodon is huge, and would likely need to feed on other large animals. It's hard to imagine that with the state of our overfished oceans nowadays, that someone wouldn't have noticed some signs of such a creature. But it could be possible.

In Wikipedia, megalodon is classified in the genus Carcharodon, the same as the great white, but there's an unexplained note saying that this classification is disputed. But it does raise the question of whether the great white is a direct decendant in a continuous line -- basically the megalodon which has merely decreased in size in adapting to changing climates.

This is probably the most likely scenario; while it's possible that there could have been one around like, just a few hundred years ago, whaling has reduced a once couple million population to like only a few thousand, probably killing the shark and a large portion of giant squids off with it.

I think it would be very interesting if the great white shark is really just an ancient predator, like the alligator, simply adapting to a new environment; supposedly, the megaladon is just like a great white shark.

[sodiumfree000]

The big khauna

Well i have a intrest in marine biology and i always wondered if the super shark could still exist if anyonee has theories good or bad they are welcomed i would like to hear them i will post my theory later on

No. Not possible. If there's no records of people seeing that huge thing swimming around and marine biologists today haven't seen that huge thing, it probably isn't there... especially since its prey would be larger things, like tuna or seal or whale or s**t like that which marine biologists pay a lot of attention to.

[CrazyDave55811]

There could always just be at least one great white shark that happens to be very, very, very, very, very big. It may not be a megalodon, but it's sure as big as one. How would it have gotten so big? Did it eat a lot? Did it mutate? Better yet, ******** those theories and just run like hell if you're near one.

Apart from coincidental life scenarios, it's always possible to recreate the megalodon through genetic engineering. Though, there are two problems as far as I know of:
1.) There is no cellular culture of a megalodon. I don't think you can get DNA samples from bones, either.
2.) Why the ******** would some nutter want to recreate the megalodon?

Want to know an even scarier creature, though? The Magnathorax. They say it exists within the Bermuda Triangle. There are only artistic representations of it, and I don't know if they're legit.....but it still sparks your imagination, no?

[Desiderat]

I would say the climate has changed too much.

[Coyote de Venganza]

If there still don't there ,they be guarding the gates of Hells himself,along whit the Box Jellyfish and everything else in Australia.

[Aporeia]

The big khauna

okay thats a very good theory on the shark but the possibility of it alive can still be true. I mean there is still so much unexplored ocean out there how can we suggest thats its dead when we are still uncovering marine life thought to be extinct

Megalodon is dead and we know it because it fed on really big fish it could eat. Now, because whales and other sharks are about the only large marine life capable of sustaining such a creature, we would expect to find one of these creatures nearby its food supply, which it is not.

It takes a lot of big animals to sustain a creature that big, it's simply impractical for it to survive to this point at the size it did.

[Plonari]

I think that it could be still in the ocean somewhere. I mean, if someone actually had proof of the megalodon, they probably got eaten or too afraid to tell anyone. It could be living down in the Twilight Zone in a very deep part of the ocean. Even if it would be kind of obvious to see near the surface, I would think it would in an unknown place where people usually don't go. (Sorry if I'm talking a lot, I just love this topic)
Thank you for reading,
Plonari (a believer of the Megalodon) smile

[Sharkonian]

******** yeah.

[******** those theories and just run like hell if you're near one.

I lol'd at that wording. Land sharks.

Anyways, I doubt the Megalodon would even be able to survive, but really, who cares about it? Sharks are already perfect, making them ******** leviathans is just a waste of time. They're perfect just the way they are.