<P> The earliest known fossils of the great white shark are about 16 million years old , during the mid-Miocene epoch . However , the phylogeny of the great white is still in dispute . The original hypothesis for the great white 's origins is that it shares a common ancestor with a prehistoric shark , such as the C. megalodon. C. megalodon had teeth that were superficially not too dissimilar with those of great white sharks , but its teeth were far larger . Although cartilaginous skeletons do not fossilize , C. megalodon is estimated to have been considerably larger than the great white shark , estimated at up to 17 m ( 56 ft ) and 59,413 kg ( 130,983 lb ) . Similarities among the physical remains and the extreme size of both the great white and C. megalodon led many scientists to believe these sharks were closely related , and the name Carcharodon megalodon was applied to the latter . However , a new hypothesis proposes that the C. megalodon and the great white are distant relatives ( albeit sharing the family Lamnidae ) . The great white is also more closely related to an ancient mako shark , Isurus hastalis , than to the C. megalodon , a theory that seems to be supported with the discovery of a complete set of jaws with 222 teeth and 45 vertebrae of the extinct transitional species Carcharodon hubbelli in 1988 and published on 14 November 2012 . In addition , the new hypothesis assigns C. megalodon to the genus Carcharocles , which also comprises the other megatoothed sharks ; Otodus obliquus is the ancient representative of the extinct Carcharocles lineage . </P>
<P> The earliest known fossils of the great white shark are about 16 million years old , during the mid-Miocene epoch . However , the phylogeny of the great white is still in dispute . The original hypothesis for the great white 's origins is that it shares a common ancestor with a prehistoric shark , such as the C. megalodon. C. megalodon had teeth that were superficially not too dissimilar with those of great white sharks , but its teeth were far larger . Although cartilaginous skeletons do not fossilize , C. megalodon is estimated to have been considerably larger than the great white shark , estimated at up to 17 m ( 56 ft ) and 59,413 kg ( 130,983 lb ) . Similarities among the physical remains and the extreme size of both the great white and C. megalodon led many scientists to believe these sharks were closely related , and the name Carcharodon megalodon was applied to the latter . However , a new hypothesis proposes that the C. megalodon and the great white are distant relatives ( albeit sharing the family Lamnidae ) . The great white is also more closely related to an ancient mako shark , Isurus hastalis , than to the C. megalodon , a theory that seems to be supported with the discovery of a complete set of jaws with 222 teeth and 45 vertebrae of the extinct transitional species Carcharodon hubbelli in 1988 and published on 14 November 2012 . In addition , the new hypothesis assigns C. megalodon to the genus Carcharocles , which also comprises the other megatoothed sharks ; Otodus obliquus is the ancient representative of the extinct Carcharocles lineage . </P>
when did the great white shark first appear
when did the great white shark first appear
about 16 million years old
about 16 million years old