Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Megalodon

Megalodon

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/July 22, 2018 by Jimfbleak - talk to me?  07:25, 17 June 2018 (UTC)



Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon) is an extinct species of shark that lived around 23 to 2.6 million years ago (mya), during the Early Miocene to the Late Pliocene. It was argued that it was closely related to the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), however it is now thought to belong to the extinct family Otodontidae. It is thought that it looked like a stocky great white shark, and it measured at most 18 m, averaging 10.5 m. Their large jaws could exert a bite force of up to 108,500 to 182,200 N. Megalodon used its strong jaws and thick teeth to grab large, struggling prey, and to puncture the heart and lungs. It probably fed on marine mammals, mainly baleen whales, in oceans around the world. It is thought that competition from other large predators (such as Livyatan), the ice ages, and the shift in whale populations led to its decline. The shark has made appearances in several media, such as the Discovery Channel's docufiction Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Dilophosaurus 22 June 2018
 * Main editors:  User:Dunkleosteus77 &#124;push to talk
 * Promoted: 8 December 2017
 * Reasons for nomination: 22 July 2018, just in time for Shark Week's 30th anniversary
 * Support as nominator.  User:Dunkleosteus77 &#124;push to talk 22:26, 17 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Support - good date! FunkMonk (talk) 14:44, 16 June 2018 (UTC)