
Louis-Philippe Bateman’s fascination with megalodon began with a single sentence in a book about Canada’s geological evolution. It described giant, mysterious fossilized shark teeth discovered in the 1960s by fishermen dredging for scallops off Canada’s Atlantic coast. The curiosity felt by the teenager with a budding interest in paleontology would resurface in a meaningful way during his undergraduate years at McGill University.
Under the mentorship of Hans Larsson, the Canada Research Chair in Vertebrate Paleontology and Professor at the Redpath Museum, Bateman delved into the study of the fossilized teeth discovered decades earlier. The fossils had never been formally studied or identified.

“I’d read about these teeth when I was in high school, and it always stuck with me,” said Bateman, now a graduate student in the Department of Biology. “When I started working with Hans, I asked if we could take a closer look while we were at the Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, where the fossils are held, for another project. That’s where this all began.”
The fossils turned out to belong to Otodus megalodon, the largest shark species ever to exist. This discovery marked the first confirmed evidence of megalodon in Canada.
Identifying these fossils required a mix of detective work and scientific rigour. Some specimens were accessible in museum collections, like those in Ottawa, while others existed only in historical fisheries journals or as photographs sent by museum curators. Others belonged to private collectors, some of whom were reluctant to share their nautical treasures.
Despite the challenges, Bateman’s careful analysis of diagnostic characteristics — such as the triangular shape of the teeth and their massive size — confirmed their identity.
“Megalodon teeth are pretty distinctive,” Bateman said. “Once you find specific characteristics or combinations of them, you can confidently classify the species.”
The study also examined how the ancient climate influenced where the species was found. Using a global database of megalodon fossil occurrences, Bateman and Larsson analyzed temperature data to map the shark’s range. Their findings showed that temperature played a significant role in limiting megalodon’s habitat, aligning with what scientists know about its physiology as a mesothermic (partially warm-blooded) predator.
‘So much potential for discovery’
While Bateman focused on identifying and contextualizing these fossils, the implications of his work extend beyond the prehistoric past.
“Megalodon was likely the largest hyper-predator to ever exist in the oceans,” Bateman said. “Knowing more about its physiology and distribution helps us understand its role in ancient ecosystems and can inform future studies on marine biodiversity and predator-prey dynamics.”
The study also highlights a broader issue in paleontology: the vast “dark data” of museum collections.
“About 90 per cent of fossils in collections remain undescribed,” Bateman said. “Eastern Canada, in particular, is underexplored compared to regions like Alberta. There’s so much potential for discovery.”
Bateman credits Larsson’s mentorship with having played a crucial role in providing him with the tools and opportunities to pursue his passion.
“Hans encouraged me to ask questions and explore,” Bateman said. “He made it possible for me to follow this thread of curiosity from high school all the way to publication.”
The first Otodus megalodon remains from Canada and their predicted range limit, by Louis-Philippe Bateman and Hans C.E. Larsson was published in the Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences on Nov. 29, 2024.