Obviousness is a critical element to patentability. In essence, even if the applicant can demonstrate patentable subject matter, utility and novelty, the patent will not issue if the invention is trivial.
While the earliest C. megalodon remains were reported from late Oligocene strata, around 28 million years old, a more reliable date for the origin of the species is the early Miocene, about 23 million years ago.
Common believe among the scientific community is that Megalodon went extinct around 1,5 million years ago. However, there is also a group of scientists who believe Megalodon could actually be alive and well today â lurking somewhere in the depths of our unexplored ocean.