The exact size of the last Megalodon super monster has also been determined

Today, white sharks are considered the god of the sea. But there was a time when the ocean was dominated by giant “super sharks”, many times bigger than today’s white sharks. That is Megalodon, the king of the ocean.

Looking back on history, Megalodon used to rage across the oceans about 20 million years ago. They are the largest shark in history, with sharp teeth and a bite force of up to 18 tons, enough to crush a mid-range car. Up until about 1.6 million years ago, Megalodon disappeared completely during the Pleistocene extinction event.

Due to long extinction, determining the exact size of Megalodon has been difficult. Previously, scientists only estimated the length of Megalodon fell to about 18m, 3 times more than the length of about 6m of the great white shark today.

However, a team of researchers from the University of Bristol and the University of Swansea have recently determined the exact size of each part of this super shark, including fins the size of an adult.

Specifically, with a 16m long Megalodon, its head can be 4.65m long, the dorsal fin is 1.62m high, the ventral fin is 3.08 m long and the caudal fin is 3.85 m long. As can be seen, Megalodon has a really huge size, when the dorsal fin of this super shark is equivalent to the average height of an adult.

It is known that the British scientists have relied on the mathematical method, as well as made a size comparison with their living relatives. Previously, the Megalodon fossil was compared only to the great white shark. However, the new analysis has extended to five modern shark species, including both shortfin and longfin mako sharks.

“We have found that all predatory sharks today do not change their proportions as adults. This allows us to rely on modern sharks’ growth curves to predict their proportions. guess the overall shape of the Megalodon, “explained lead researcher Jack Cooper from the University of Bristol.

Megalodon’s resizing of body parts will provide the foundation for scientists to better understand the physiological characteristics of this giant shark, as well as the anatomical factors inside that can be revealed. cause of their extinction.

Refer to The Guardian