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Quiz about Megalodon terror of the oceans
Quiz about Megalodon terror of the oceans

Megalodon, terror of the oceans Quiz


Carcharodon megalodon is the ancestor of the great white shark, and the most fearsome predator that ever lived on land or sea.

A multiple-choice quiz by annamc. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
annamc
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
230,357
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1024
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Prehistoric Megalodon was the largest predator that ever lived, dwarfing its modern relative, the great white shark. If you could place a fully grown Megalodon upright on its nose, it would be as tall as what? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What does "Megalodon" mean? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Megalodon's main prey was Odobenocetops, which was what sort of creature? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Megalodon had to eat at least 2 percent of its 20 ton body weight, or half a ton, daily to maintain its existence. This is proportionately a bit less than a human being eats. Why do humans eat more than sharks? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. What creatures were Megalodon's predators? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Megalodon appeared in prehistoric oceans during the Oligocene Period and ruled the oceans for 20 million years. It became extinct 2 million years ago, due to what phenomenon? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Only fossilised Megalodon jaws and teeth have been found - never any Megalodon skeletons. Why not? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Marine "treasure hunters" are always eager to find fossilised Megalodon teeth, as there is a ready market for them. Who are the eager purchasers? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What colour are fossilised Megalodon teeth? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. How were megalodon's teeth arranged? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Prehistoric Megalodon was the largest predator that ever lived, dwarfing its modern relative, the great white shark. If you could place a fully grown Megalodon upright on its nose, it would be as tall as what?

Answer: a six-story building

Megalodon was about 65 ft long, the height of a six-story building. Scientists extrapolate the size of megalodon from the size of fossilised teeth and even complete fossilised jaws that have been found. The jaws can be up to 3 metres wide. You could drive a car through a set of Megalodon dentures without scraping the paint! Liberty is 151ft, California redwoods are 330ft and the Eiffel tower 986 ft - a bit ambitious even for Megalodon!
2. What does "Megalodon" mean?

Answer: giant tooth

From the Greek: mega = big + odon = tooth
3. Megalodon's main prey was Odobenocetops, which was what sort of creature?

Answer: a whale

Odobenocetops is an extinct whale that sifted the mud on the sea floor for food. Like the great white shark, Megalodon would have been an ambush predator, attacking Odobenocetops from beneath.
Scientists have concluded that of the marine life present in the prehistoric oceans at the same time as Megalodon, whales were the prey most suited to it. It may also have fed on large fish and seals or sea lions, but they were not really big enough to meet its required daily food intake, except in very large numbers.
4. Megalodon had to eat at least 2 percent of its 20 ton body weight, or half a ton, daily to maintain its existence. This is proportionately a bit less than a human being eats. Why do humans eat more than sharks?

Answer: to keep their bodies warm

Since sharks are cold-blooded, they don't have to eat as much as warm-blooded creatures, a lot of whose food intake is used to keep their bodies warm.
5. What creatures were Megalodon's predators?

Answer: they had no predators

Megalodon was the most fearsome creature in the oceans and nothing attacked it. The giant razor-tentacled octopus is a figment of my imagination and Megalodon was not a cannibal.
6. Megalodon appeared in prehistoric oceans during the Oligocene Period and ruled the oceans for 20 million years. It became extinct 2 million years ago, due to what phenomenon?

Answer: cooling of the oceans

Like modern sharks, Megalodon did not like cold water. Fossils of megalodon teeth and jaws are found only in regions that were predominantly warm water environments. The cooling of ocean temperatures in the mid-Pliocene would have reduced the number of possible nursery sites on the continental shelf for the Megalodon pups.

In addition their prey, the whales, moved to colder polar waters where Megalodon could not follow.
7. Only fossilised Megalodon jaws and teeth have been found - never any Megalodon skeletons. Why not?

Answer: megalodon had no bones

Shark skeletons consist of cartilage and not bone. Cartilage decomposes long before it can fossilise.
8. Marine "treasure hunters" are always eager to find fossilised Megalodon teeth, as there is a ready market for them. Who are the eager purchasers?

Answer: museums and private collectors

Collectors will pay up to a thousand dollars for a six-inch fossilised Megalodon tooth that still has its enamel and all its serrations. Teeth in pristine condition are rare: a few million years take their toll! Fossilised megalodon teeth can be up to 8 inches long and weigh up to a pound. By comparison the largest teeth of the Great White measure 3 inches (8 cm) and weigh only a few ounces.
9. What colour are fossilised Megalodon teeth?

Answer: they can be any colour at all

The colours of these teeth are interesting: the tooth becomes impregnated with minerals from the sediment in which it fossilises, and can be practically any colour at all, from blue to yellow, orange or red. The most common colour is a black root with blue-grey enamel.
10. How were megalodon's teeth arranged?

Answer: hundreds were spread over 3 to 5 rows

Megalodon, like all sharks, would have had hundreds of finely serrated and razor-sharp teeth at one time, located in rows. Most sharks have about 3-5 rows of teeth: the first two rows are the ones in use for grasping the prey. As teeth are lost, broken, or worn down, the other rows rotate into place as needed. Sharks do not chew, but swallow huge chunks at once.
Source: Author annamc

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
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