A New Study Of Megalodon Fossils Suggests The Popular Depiction Of This Extinct Shark Species Is Inaccurate, And It May Have Been Thinner And Longer In Appearance
The megalodon is an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived about 23 to 3.6 million years ago.
It was the largest shark to have ever lived and was thought to look like a supersized version of the great white shark.
However, a team of scientists has revealed that the megalodon may actually have been longer and thinner in appearance.
In the past, an example of a great white was used to reconstruct the body of a megalodon, which suggested that the species measured approximately 52 feet in length and resembled the shape of great white sharks.
But, after analyzing the incomplete spine of a fossilized megalodon housed at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, scientists found that there were inconsistencies in the earlier reconstructions of the massive shark.
“The previously published reconstruction of megalodon skeleton and body shape looked very awkward,” stated Kenshu Shimada, one of the study’s authors and a paleobiologist at DePaul University in Chicago.
Great white sharks are often used as models for megalodon because they are both apex predators and close relatives with similar diets and characteristics.
Still, it is extremely difficult to piece together the history of ancient sharks because shark skeletons are mostly made of cartilage, so they don’t leave behind bony fossils that can be preserved.
As a result, scientists were left with only fossilized shark teeth, skin scales, or vertebrae to work with, producing quite a challenge for the experts trying to unravel the mystery behind the megalodon.
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In the new study, the researchers compared computed tomography scans of the vertebrae of a juvenile great white shark and a megalodon specimen.
Their findings showed differences in the sizes of their centrums, which are the solid, central parts of the vertebrae.
The megalodon’s vertebral column was much thinner than the great white’s, meaning the megalodon itself was slimmer.
Previously, the megalodon was thought to have a vertebrae length of 36.4 feet, but the new evidence has indicated that this measurement was likely just a minimum length. The megalodon was probably even longer.
On the other hand, the total body length of a great white shark was only 30 feet. So, the team was led to believe that the megalodon did not resemble the great white very much at all.
They concluded that the megalodon was not only longer and thinner than a great white but also was more similar to mako sharks.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, mako sharks are primarily found in the waters off the East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Scientists’ understanding of the megalodon’s anatomy is still rudimentary at best. The shape of the creature’s head, fins, and tail remains unclear, and the team is reluctant to provide an exact length of the megalodon without more information.
“The reality is that we need the discovery of at least one complete megalodon skeleton to be more confident about its true size as well as its body form,” said Shimada.
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