- Climate change: The climate during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs, when megaladons thrived, was much warmer than today. As the climate cooled during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs, the oceans became colder, and the megalodon's preferred prey, such as whales and seals, moved to warmer waters. This may have caused the megalodon to lose its food source and eventually become extinct.
- Competition: The megalodon was the largest shark that has ever lived, but it was not the only giant shark in the ocean during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. Other large sharks, such as the great white shark and the tiger shark, may have competed with the megalodon for food and resources, and may have contributed to its extinction.
- Human hunting: Some scientists believe that humans may have contributed to the extinction of the megalodon. Humans began hunting whales and other large marine mammals during the Pleistocene epoch, and this may have reduced the megalodon's food supply. Additionally, humans may have directly hunted megaladons for food or because they were seen as a threat.
- A combination of factors: It is likely that a combination of factors, such as climate change, competition, and human hunting, contributed to the extinction of the megalodon.
Megaladons went extinct around 2.6 million years ago.