Megalodon

It’s a puzzle piece that has eluded shark scientists for years: just why exactly did the ancient Otodus megalodon, the largest shark to ever swim in our planet’s oceans, disappear? While recent movies and mockumentaries have toyed with the idea that “the Meg” is still alive, it is unquestionably extinct according to marine biologists. Theories have…

Why did the mega-shark megalodon die out? It could have been its highly active metabolism, new research suggests. Credit: Shutterstock The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) may have wiped out the giant megalodon (Otodus megalodon). Millions of years before human beings emerged, a type of shark that grew up to 60 feet (18 meters) long prowled…

For many years, scientists have been studying how supernovae could affect life on Earth. Supernovae are extremely powerful events, and depending on how close they are to Earth, they could have consequences ranging from the cataclysmic to the inconsequential. But now, the scientists behind a new paper say they have specific evidence linking one or…