Perhaps the most dramatic theory emerged from astrophysics. A suggests that a supernova explosion 2.6 million years ago—coinciding with the Pliocene-Pleistocene extinction event—bombarded Earth with cosmic radiation. The key particle was muons , generated when cosmic radiation hits the atmosphere. Unlike other forms of radiation, muons penetrate deep underwater, reaching creatures far below the ocean's surface. For surface-adapted predators like megalodon, this sudden bombardment of radiation could have caused widespread mutations, cancer, and ultimately, population collapse.
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A in Earth and Planetary Science Letters analyzed zinc isotopes in 18-million-year-old megalodon teeth. The results were surprising: megalodon's diet was far broader than previously imagined. Rather than exclusively hunting whales, these superpredators ate pretty much whatever they wanted—including other sharks, large fish, and even members of their own species. To fuel a body that required an estimated 100,000 calories per day , being picky wasn't an option. Unlike other forms of radiation, muons penetrate deep