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FOSSILS ET AL.
The Real Reason Megalodon Got So Gigantic (and Then Went Extinct)
The surprising science behind the ocean’s largest shark — and why it couldn’t last
As some readers know, I was fortunate to do my PhD research in the land down under in Australia.
If you want a comical representation of Australian culture, I strongly recommend you read . One of the things that the book captures best is the Australian normalization of having sharks on the beach. It may sound surprising, but it’s not uncommon to hear someone explain that “it’s been ages since the last shark attack, right? What’s it been? Like, three weeks or so?”
And of course, you never forget the first time that, while relaxing on the beach, you hear over the megaphone: “There’s a shark in the beach, please stay clear.” They call it Tuesday.
One breezy afternoon, as waves gently rolled onto the shore on the coast of Manly, north of Sydney, I stared into the endless blue while hearing, once again, the scary message in the background. As a biologist, paleontologist, and ecologist, I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean's secrets. And sharks are quite mysterious.
