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New Research Reveals Megalodon Was Sleek and Could Reach 80 Feet

A study challenges long-held assumptions, suggesting the prehistoric shark had a slender body and was larger than previously estimated.

Scientists have reexamined the total body length of the megalodon, finding it to be as much as 30 feet (9 meters) longer than previously thought. Humans never coexisted with the prehistoric shark.
Scientists have long thought the megalodon resembled a supersize version of the modern-day great white shark.
However, Otodus megalodon likely had sleeker proportions instead, more in line with those of a lemon shark, new research suggests.
Paleobiologist and lead study author Dr. Kenshu Shimada holds a megalodon tooth. He has been interested in the extinct shark since he was 13.

Overview

  • Scientists estimate the extinct Otodus megalodon could have reached up to 80 feet (24 meters) in length, based on rare fossilized vertebrae and comparisons with modern sharks.
  • The study found that megalodon likely had a streamlined body shape, resembling a modern lemon shark, rather than the stocky build of a great white shark.
  • Researchers analyzed 165 species of extinct and living sharks to reassess megalodon's body proportions, using a new approach that moves away from comparisons solely with great whites.
  • The findings suggest that a slender body allowed megalodon to grow to its massive size while maintaining hydrodynamic efficiency, similar to modern whale sharks and basking sharks.
  • This research also supports the hypothesis that competition with the rising great white shark lineage may have contributed to megalodon's extinction 3.6 million years ago.