Was the Megalodon Really “Mega”? New Study Suggests Otherwise

Jack Cooper stands in front of a partially reconstructed Megalodon specimen at the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS) in Brussels.

Juliën K. Lubeek

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Juliën K. Lubeek

Jack Cooper stands in front of a partially reconstructed Megalodon specimen at the Royal Belgian Institute for Natural Sciences (RBINS) in Brussels.

Juliën K. Lubeek

The megalodon vanished 3.6 million years ago and was thought to be the largest shark in history. However, there has been a debate about its appearance. Many scientists have portrayed it as a larger version of the modern great white shark, influencing its depiction in films like “The Meg” (2018). A recent study suggests that the massive shark may have had a slimmer physique than previously believed, as detailed in a new publication in Palaeontologia Electronica. If true, this discovery would alter our understanding of the ancient shark’s behavior and its impact on the current ocean ecosystem.

“Deciphering the biology of Megalodon is crucial to understanding the role of large carnivores in marine ecosystem evolution and the influence of its extinction on today’s ocean,” explains Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiologist at DePaul University, emphasizing the significance of studying one of the largest carnivores to have ever existed.

Phillip Sternes, a PhD student at the University of California, Riverside, developed intrigue for Megalodon after watching “Jaws” as a child. His passion for sharks led him to pursue a career as a shark researcher. The unresolved question of what Megalodon looked like piqued his interest, driven by the limited fossil evidence available, including only a few scales, vertebrae, and numerous teeth. “From the limited fossil evidence, you try to figure out what the shark looked like,” Sternes explains.

For years, scientists assumed that Megalodon resembled a larger version of the modern great white shark, an apex predator with large serrated triangular teeth. In the 1990s, a team used the relationship between the largest vertebra of a great white shark and its total length to estimate the length of Megalodon, predicting it to be around 30 feet, double or triple the length of a typical great white.

However, a few years ago, another group created a computer model of Megalodon using the same vertebrae, resulting in a length estimate of approximately 52 feet based on the length of the spine alone. Sternes and his colleagues found this estimate to be questionable due to discrepancies in the supporting evidence. They concluded that Megalodon was likely more slender, suggesting a different mode of predation and movement.

Disagreeing with this viewpoint, Jack Cooper, a graduate student in paleobiology at Swansea University, believes the recent publication lacks substantial evidence to support a slimmer Megalodon. Cooper’s group also estimated a longer length for the shark based on the measurement of its spine. He emphasizes the need for a complete skeleton to determine Megalodon’s exact appearance and suggests that further statistical analysis is required to verify any alternative hypotheses.

Understanding Megalodon’s size and physique is essential for comprehending its dietary needs and physical capabilities, shedding light on factors that may have contributed to its extinction approximately 3 million years ago. Both Cooper and Sternes anticipate that future fossil discoveries will provide more answers and offer insights into the potential reasons behind Megalodon’s disappearance, which could help address the challenges faced by today’s endangered shark species in a rapidly changing world.

Author: OpenAI