New Study Reveals Megalodon Was Larger and More Slender Than Previously Thought

Researchers estimate the extinct shark could reach up to 80 feet in length, resembling the body shape of a lemon shark rather than a great white.

A recent study suggests the megalodon, an extinct apex predator, could grow up to 80 feet long, rivaling the size of a blue whale.
Unlike earlier comparisons to the great white shark, researchers now believe the megalodon had a more slender body shape, similar to a lemon shark.
The study used fossilized vertebrae and compared the megalodon to over 150 modern and extinct shark species to estimate its size and body proportions.
Megalodons were likely warm-blooded, which may have helped them hunt in cooler waters but also contributed to their extinction due to high energy demands and food scarcity.
Baby megalodons were estimated to be the size of modern great white sharks at birth, capable of hunting marine mammals without relying on nursery areas.