On the territory of Mexico, the "surfaced" remains of a huge 18-meter shark were found. We are talking, presumably, about the megalodon - the largest fish known to science.
According to Mexico News Daily, residents of a settlement in the Mexican state of Guerrero have found the remains of an ancient shark at the mouth of a river. The find was studied by experts from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).
Scientists estimated the age of the discovered animal in the range from 1, 8 to 5 million years. Experts believe the remains to be found belong to the megalodon, believed by some to be the ancestor of the modern white shark. However, scientists do not exclude that there may be another species of extinct fish in front of them. Further laboratory studies will help answer all the questions of interest to researchers.
Shark remains / © Mexiconewsdaily
And, although only the back part without a head was identified, scientists found that the length of the creature was an incredible 18 m. Note that the average length of megalodons is slightly less and equal to 15 m. The weight of such creatures reached 47 tons.
It is believed that the megalodon was an apex predator that stood at the top of the food chain. This "monster" hunted, in particular, whales. Researchers believe that a huge shark could ram its prey, after which it finished off and devoured it. During the Pliocene, when larger cetaceans appeared, megalodons changed their hunting strategy. Now they first tried to tear off a piece from the prey and only then, immobilizing it, killed it. It is believed that megalodons themselves could become victims of killer whales attacking in flocks. Some scientists believe that megalodons may have survived to this day. However, most researchers are skeptical about this hypothesis.
Earlier, we will remind, it was reported about the discovery at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico "monster" unknown to science, called Lasiognathus dinema. This is a deep-sea fish belonging to the Ceratioid family. A special bait is located above the mouth of a living creature, which serves to attract prey.