Megalodon Shark Nursery Found

[Judi Lynn]

Megalodon Shark Nursery Found
Analysis by Jennifer Viegas
Mon May 10, 2010 07:00 PM ET

A 10-million-year-old nursery for the extinct megalodon shark has just been found in Panama, according to University of Florida researchers who report their findings in the latest issue of the journal PLoS ONE.

Megalodon, aka "Big Tooth," is thought to have been the world's largest fish and shark. It grew to around 67 feet in length and looked like a heftier great white shark.

“The study provides evidence of megalodon behavior in the fossil record,” said lead author Catalina Pimiento, who just completed a master’s degree in zoology from UF and worked in the Florida Museum of Natural History’s vertebrate paleontology division. “Behavior doesn’t fossilize, but we were able to interpret ancient protection strategies used by extinct sharks based on the fossil record.”

Prior suggested fossil shark paleo-nursery areas, the Paleocene Williamsburg Formation and late Oligocene Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina, were based only on the anecdotal presence of juvenile teeth accompanied by marine mammals.

[jpak]

1. That was one scary critter - nothing was too big to be safe from it

it must have been a major player in the evolution of whales

[arcadian]

2. Got a megalodon tooth on my mantle

Wife's father found it in Virginia.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Amazing! You should sell tickets for people to see it. What a "conversation piece." n/t

[arcadian]

9. They are actually really not that rare

But it is pretty cool. :-)

[ThatPoetGuy]

3. Link?

Pics would be grand.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Here's one next to a Great White...

well, artist's conception, anyway:


And here's a reconstruction of a jaw:



If you visit the Museum of natural History in NYC, you'll see a set of megalodon jaws over a doorway. A rather large doorway.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Unbelievable! You'd think the 1st one was impossible before you saw the 2nd photo!

Thanks for posting these images.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Oh, gosh, ThatPoetGuy. I was in a rush and took off without double checking. I've got it here:

http://news.discovery.com/animals/megalodon-shark-nursery-found.html

Really sorry. The images are really creepy!

[Bryn]

4. Saw History Channel about Megalodon Shark while ago

They said that Washington D.C. used to be ocean with megalodon sharks swimming around... right there!

[Phoonzang]

10. Can we bring it back?

I'm all for bringing extinct mega-predators (both sea and land) back to life. It'll add a bit of excitement to our boring, safe lives. Just imagine....you're talking a nice walk in the park and CHOMP....a freakin' Allosaurus bites your head off. Out for a leisurely day of deep sea fishing...CHOMP...a Megalodon bites your yacht in half.

It'll also cure the obesity problem if people have to run from giant, gnashing horrors on a daily basis. Heart disease and stroke would no longer be the leading cause of death. It'd be death by sabertooth tiger or something.