Some Megalodons Reached 80 Feet—But They Weren’t Built Like Great Whites, Research Suggests

15 million years before films like Jaw and Open water The swimmers gave Hobby Jabiz, a type of prehistoric shark called called Otodus Megalodon I reached huge sizes. The researchers re-evaluated the size of the monster that was now intersecting-and the results of the fins.

To improve its megalone -size estimates, an international team of biologists, excavation scientists and anatomy doctors analyzed the partial megalone fossils along with the Murphology of both the current and cornerstone types. From these data, they have been deduced that prehistoric shark, which is sometimes called a Megatooth shark, can grow 80 feet (24 meters). Their studies were published today in the magazine Palaeontologia ElectronicaIt also provides a potential insight into the reason why some sharks can achieve Gigant, while others remained small sharks compared to comparison (Doo, Doo, Doo, Doo, Doo, Doo).

Based on the 46 -foot MEGALODON spine (11 meters), it was previously discovered in Belgium, and the team has achieved the size of other parts of the body in the shark. Under the Kenshu Shimada world of Depaul University, compare the spine of the shark to the physical proportions of 145 types of living sharks and 20 species of extinct shark.

As a result of this analysis and their assumption that Megalodon’s body was similar to the body of most sharks, the researchers estimated that Megalodon with the backbone of 36 feet length would have had a 6 -foot tail (1.8 meters in length) and 12 feet (3.6 meters). In total, this person was 54 feet (16.4 meters).

If you think this is huge, you are in a surprise. The researchers applied these proportions to the supposed metalculars discovered in Denmark – some of the largest Megalodon paragraphs that have ever discovered. The team concluded that the Danish shark was 80 feet (24.3 meters) and weighs 94 tons.

“24.3 meters is currently the largest reasonable grade possible for O. Megalodon “This can be justified based on the current science and the current fossil record,” said Philip Stern, a co -author of study and biologist at Seaworld San Diego, in a DEPAUL university statement.

But how did Mealodon seem? Since a full skeleton is not found, only researchers can study prehistoric monster by analyzing partial remains and comparing them with other types of sharks. However, her serrated teeth resemble her great white teeth, so both academic circles and entertainment (as well as the image of the feature of this article) tend to portray extinct species as a wonderful white porn.

But the new study “strengthened the idea O. Megalodon It was not just a giant version of the great white shark in the modern era, and to support our previous studies.

“What distinguishes our study from all the previous papers on the size of the body and the estimates of the shape from O. Megalodon Jake Wood, a co -author at the University of Florida Atlantic, added is the use of a completely new approach that not only depends on the modern great white shark.

In fact, theoretical wood, backwards, and colleagues that Migalodon would have appeared less than the large large white color, and they are close to the lemon shark. Then they pointed out that giant marine creatures today – such as whale sharks, sharks, and whales – have more sleek and hydrogenated shapes. This perception led them to the assumption that huge marine vertebrates, such as the great white shark, cannot grow into enormous sizes (PHEW!) Without changing their material shape – otherwise the swimming will become very ineffective.

“Many of the explanations that we have done are still temporary, but they depend on data and will serve as reasonable reference points for future studies on biology O. Megalodon“Sheaada concluded.

It should be noted that without reaching the full skeleton Megalodon, the team’s approach to the data requires a good amount of guessing and assumptions. In addition, shark body lineage varies greatly, so comparing them to each other may not lead to accurate conclusions. Finally, while assuming that the vertebrae sizes are linked to the length of the body, they are not guaranteed. It remains to see whether future fossil discoveries will prove that they are right.

If you are grateful because we no longer have to share the oceans with Megalodons, I am afraid that there is some bad news: The study also revealed that the great white shark today may have been partially responsible for the extinction of Megalodon 5 million years ago.

((He fled, du, du, du, du, du …))