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You may have seen the movie “Jaws” – but you’ve never seen jaws like these. They belonged to a behemoth 60 feet long, whose giant mouth bristled with 276 teeth.

It was the Megalodon, a prehistoric shark that ruled the seas more than two million years ago. It comes to life again in “Megalodon, Largest Shark that Ever Lived,” on exhibit at the Virginia Living Museum in Newport News Oct. 3 through Jan. 10, 2010.

This traveling exhibit from the Florida Museum of Natural History features a 60-foot-long walk-through sculpture of the giant fish. Visitors enter the full-size sculpture through its massive jaws and discover this shark’s history and the world it inhabited, including its size, structure, diet, lifespan, relatives, neighbors, evolution and extinction.
 
 “Megalodon” does more than marvel at a prehistoric giant. It tells the history of the shark family, displaying both fossil and modern shark specimens as well as full-scale models from several collections. Their fascinating story contains lessons for modern science and shark conservation, and on improving the health of our oceans and survival of threatened species.

Sharks have been around for more than 400 million years, or about 200 million years before dinosaurs. There are more than 375 species of sharks living today. But now they face an even more fearsome predator: man.

Scientists estimate humans kill 100 million sharks, skates and rays each year, and the life history of most shark species makes it difficult for populations to rebound. For those wondering why we need sharks, “Megalodon” asks observers to consider the domino effect on the marine food web caused by this overfishing.
 
It also describes how this animal continues to fascinate many, elevating Megalodon to near cult status. From biker jackets to postage stamps, the exhibit explains the many ways Megalodon remains a part of human culture through art, literature, music and film.

“The evolution and extinction of this giant beast capture our imaginations and inspire us to learn about shark evolution in general and the importance of shark conservation today,” says Florida Museum assistant director for exhibits Darcie MacMahon.

More Megalodon facts:

• Megalodon had 46 front row teeth, 24 in the upper jaw and 22 in the lower. Most sharks have at least six rows of teeth, so a Megalodon had about 276 teeth at any given time.
• Megalodon had body mass of about 77 tons.
• Some scientists estimate that Megalodon ate about 2,500 pounds of food every day, including whales and other large fish.
• Megalodon lived throughout most of the ancient world’s oceans, from 17 to 2 million years ago.
• Ancient people collected Megalodon teeth and traditional legends feature giant sharks.

Showing in the planetarium Oct. 3 through Jan. 10 is “The Future Is Wild.” Tyrannosaurus Rex…Velociraptors…Megalodon…the Earth’s past is filled with deadly predators on a fantastic scale. But what does the future hold? What hunters will stalk the planet in 5 million years? Or 100 million? Or even 200 million years in the future? Based on a wildly successful international television series that has been broadcast in over 60 countries around the world, “The Future is Wild” will give you a glimpse at what might be the future of the animal kingdom on planet Earth.

An international team of researchers has been looking into how animals and plants will change and evolve over the next 5 to 200 million years. And a team of over 100 animators and scholars has transformed their ideas into creatures that fly, walk and swim on the Earth of the future. You’ve seen the past…now imagine the future in the Virginia Living Museum’s Abbitt Planetarium! Produced in association with Discovery Channel’s Animal Planet and Evans and Sutherland Digital Theater. Days and times vary. $4 in addition to museum admission.

The museum is located at 524 J. Clyde Morris, Blvd., Newport News (I-64 Exit 258-A). Open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1.

Admission is $15 for adults and $12 for children (ages 3-12). Ages 2 and under are free. Planetarium shows are $4 additional.

Call 757-595-1900 or visit www.thevlm.org.

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