Gem Venice Meg 4.85"

The Megalodon (Otodus megalodon) was the largest shark that ever lived, ruling the world's oceans for over 20 million years before going extinct approximately 3.6 million years ago. This colossal predator reached lengths of 50 to 60 feet and patrolled warm, shallow seas during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs at a time when Earth's oceans were teeming with large whales, dolphins, giant sea turtles, and dugongs — all primary targets for a hunter of this magnitude.

Megalodon was the undisputed apex predator of its era, possessing a bite force estimated at up to 40,000 pounds per square inch — the most powerful ever recorded in any known animal. It hunted large marine mammals by targeting ribcages and flippers, crushing through bone with ease. Fossil whale bones bearing Megalodon bite marks have been recovered around the world, painting a vivid picture of just how dominant this animal truly was in its time.