According to a new study, the prehistoric giant predator, megalodon, may have been 9 meters longer than previously estimated. Previously believed to be about 15 meters long, the giant shark was actually found to have reached up to 24 meters.
The researchers conducting the study stated that the megalodon had a thinner and longer body than previously thought, resembling the more slender lemon sharks rather than the great white sharks.
What was the exact size of the megalodon? No complete megalodon fossil has ever been found. However, researchers compared the spine fossils of prehistoric giant sharks with the anatomy of modern sharks to estimate the true size of this predator.
Biologist Dr. Kenshu Shimada and his team from DePaul University in Chicago analyzed the body ratios of 145 living and 20 extinct shark species. The calculations based on this data showed that the megalodon had a long and slender body structure.
Dr. Shimada said, "We should move away from the idea that megalodon was just a giant version of the great white shark."
The giant predator ruled the oceans for millions of years Megalodon appeared about 15 million years ago and lived as one of the ocean's most powerful predators until about 3.6 million years ago. However, it never coexisted with humans.
Scientists believe that megalodon developed a slender body to move more efficiently and be larger. Just like how blue whales can exceed 30 meters due to their long and slender bodies, megalodon may have reached a much greater length than previous estimates.
