The Megalodon: Real or Imaginary?

Well, when Nick came home and told me about the Megalodon, I thought he and his classmate had made it up. He is obsessed with them. Then he brought home a library book about them. Wow--I was shocked. (So was his teacher when she saw the book, after hearing him talk about it in class).

He will tell you, if you ask:

The megalodon lived over 10 million years ago. It came before the shark and looked like one; except one of his teeth was about 10 times bigger than a shark's tooth! It was probably 60 - 80 feet long. It "ruled the seas" and ate about 1,500 pounds of food each day.

So at Open House, I saw this enormous painted megalodon (not shark) on the wall next to the other tiny artwork depicting ocean life. Nick's name was next to it as the artisit. And his "research" was there, too. Impressive! The things they learn in first grade are way beyond what I learned in 1974.