Posted on 03/10/2025 12:12:11 PM PDT by Red Badger
Megalodons likely gave birth to large newborns about 13 feet long, roughly the size of today’s adult shark.
Representational image: Megalodon, a giant prehistoric shark, ruled the oceans millions of years ago.
iStock
Megalodon, a giant prehistoric shark, ruled the oceans millions of years ago.
The conventional view of megalodon as simply a larger version of the great white is now being challenged as new research has uncovered a more complex reality.
Led by Professor Kenshu Shimada of DePaul University, a team of 28 experts from around the world analyzed a nearly complete vertebral column of a megalodon found in Belgium.
The goal was to determine the real size and shape of these prehistoric hunters (Otodus megalodon).
“Our new study has solidified the idea that O. megalodon was not merely a gigantic version of the modern-day great white shark,” said Phillip Sternes, one of the study’s authors.
Prehistoric giant
Megalodon shares some similarities, like serrated teeth, with the present great white shark. That’s why these ancient sharks have often been portrayed as supersized great whites in both scientific research and popular culture, like the film ‘The Meg.’
In this new study, the team analyzed an 11-meter (36-foot) megalodon vertebral column from Belgium. Researchers then sought to determine the complete size of the shark by calculating the missing head and tail lengths based on this vertebral column.
They compared the body proportions of numerous shark species, both living and extinct, to estimate the megalodon’s missing body parts. It was concluded that the megalodon’s head likely comprised about 16.6% and its tail around 32.6% of its total length.
The team estimated the missing head to be 1.8 meters (6 feet) and the tail 3.6 meters (12 feet). This resulted in a total estimated length of 16.4 meters (54 feet) for that specific megalodon specimen.
Interestingly, other larger vertebrae found in Denmark suggest that individuals could have reached an astonishing 24.3 meters (80 feet).
“The length of 24.3 meters is currently the largest possible reasonable estimate for O. megalodon that can be justified based on science and the present fossil record,” said Shimada.
The study also sheds light on other aspects of the megalodon’s biology.
A 24.3-meter individual would have weighed around 94 tons with cruising speed at 2.1-3.5 km/h (1.3–2.2 miles/h /h) — similar to a great white.
They likely gave live birth to large newborns about 3.6-3.9 meters (12–13 feet).
VIDEO AT LINK...............
Slender body shape for efficient swimming
In terms of body shape, the megalodon likely had a more slender build, similar to a modern lemon shark, rather than the stocky form of a great white.
This slender form is key for efficient swimming at such massive sizes.
Slender bodies have also been found in other large aquatic animals like whale sharks, basking sharks, and whales. On the other hand, bulky forms become inefficient in water at large sizes.
Great white sharks, with their stocky build that increases with size, are limited to a maximum length of 7 meters (23 feet) due to hydrodynamic limitations.
This observation reveals why some aquatic animals can reach immense sizes while others, like the great white, are constrained, thus solving a long-standing mystery.
About 5 million years ago, the emergence of the great white shark likely contributed to the megalodon’s extinction due to competition.
In the press release, Professor Shimada acknowledges that the study’s preliminary conclusions are based on solid data. He hopes a complete skeleton will eventually be found to validate their findings.
PinGGG!......................Who says they are extinct?.................
In the press release, Professor Shimada acknowledges that the study’s preliminary conclusions are based on solid data. He hopes a complete skeleton will eventually be found to validate their findings …Good luck with that, since shark skeletons are made of cartilage and not bone.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4779682/
The British Navy will be so displeased.
That critter is a strapping big fish. It would sooooo pleased not to meet one.
Based on careful analysis of that vertebral column, they determined that the newborns were 13 feet long. Because science.
Eff that. I aint going in the ocean water no mo.
Been reports of very large white shark type critters.
It would not surprise me that one or more were still alive.
I found a meg tooth once about 45 years ago at Camp LeJeune, NC, the size of the palm of your hand. Forget whatever happened to it over the years.
But it didn’t look millions of years old.......................
Why didn’t they eat prehistoric lawyers?
Professional courtesy.
I have two megalodon teeth. They are both between 5 and 6 inches long.
Gonna need a MUCH bigger boat!
Are they black?.......................
A 24.3-meter individual would have weighed around 94 tons with cruising speed at 2.1-3.5 km/h (1.3–2.2 miles/h /h)
I wonder how they came up with them.
One is mostly black, but some white near the top edge. The other is mostly grey and some black and brown near the base. They are almost as large as my hand from wrist to finger tip. Not quite, but almost that size in length and width.
You know how you know that when you're in the water, chief? You tell by lookin' from the dorsal to the tail.
Even a Sailfish of today can do 60+ mph for short distances..............
Mine was black and brown and the edges were worn down from being tossed about in the surf......................
They be extinct. Fun to speculate of course. Somewhere on the web there's a cool photo off someone standing by a set of the megalodon's choppers and next to a modern shark's choppers.
80? That’s a lot of feet, especially for a fish.
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