Carcharodon megalodon is the largest shark that ever lived

megalodon
Carcharodon megalodon is the largest shark that ever lived. Megalodon
lived between 23.8 and 5.3 million years ago. Estimates show that
megalodon was 40 to 50 feet in length and weighed around 48 tons. The
megalodon’s teeth ranged from three to seven inches in length. The jaws
spanned seven feet tall by six feet wide and had an estimated bite force
of 40,131 pounds per square inch! That’s over five times greater than
Tyrannosaurus rex. In comparison, the largest great white shark was
around 23.5 feet long, weighed 2.4 tons and had teeth 1.5 inches long.
Its bite force was around 4,032 pounds per square inch. The megalodon
probably fed on large marine mammals, such as whales.
Megalodon
Great White
An old reconstruction of megalodon
jaws, now thought to be too large.
A modern, more accurate
reconstruction.
Human
An artist’s depiction of a megalodon chasing two juvenile blue whales.