Even the shark in the movie Jaws pales in comparison to the megalodon. The super predators first appeared about 28 million years ago and ranged from 40 to 60 feet in length, weighed between 50 and 100 metric tons and could swallow an adult human whole. They are believed to have preyed, predominantly, on whales.

Thanks to the Discovery Channel’s “Shark Week” some people may be under the impression that the massive sharks still exist. However, in a recent study by researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Zurich puts the extinction of megalodon at 2.6 million years ago.

The researchers used existing databases and scientific literature along with a mathematic formula, developed by the study’s co-author Christopher F. Clements with the Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich. The formula has proven reliable in recent tests at calculating the extinction dates of a variety of species.

The researchers hope, that in addition to debunking myths, the information will shed light on what happens in an ecosystem when top predators become extinct.

“I was drawn to the study of Carcharocles megalodon’s extinction because it is fundamental to know when species became extinct to then begin to understand the causes and consequences of such an event. I also think people who are interested in this animal deserve to know what the scientific evidence shows, especially following Discovery Channel specials that implied megalodon may still be alive,” said lead author Catalina Pimiento, in a statement. Pimiento is a doctoral candidate at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the University of Florida campus.

The study represents only the first phase of Pimiento’s research into the life and extinction of megalodon and the aftermath of that extinction.

“When you remove large sharks, then small sharks are very abundant and they consume more of the invertebrates that we humans eat. Recent estimations show that large-bodied, shallow-water species of sharks are at greatest risk among marine animals, and the overall risk of shark extinction is substantially higher than for most other vertebrates,” Pimiento said.

Pimiento’s research also has real world, modern day, importance. Due to overfishing, bycatch and pollution up to one-third of the world’s shark species are endangered. By learning what happens when top predators become extinct, humans will know more about what to expect when and if it happens again.

This latest research can be found in the journal PLOS ONE.