Some megalodones reached 80 feet, but were not built as large targets, the investigation suggests

15 million years before films such as Jaws and Open waters He gave the swimmers the heebie-jeebies, a kind of prehistoric shark called Megalodon Otodus reached gigantic sizes. The researchers have reassessed how big the beast would have now extinct, and the results are final.

To refine their own estimates of the size of Megalodon, an international team of biologists, paleontologists and anatomists analyzed partial megalodon fossils along with the morphology of existing and extinct shark species. From these data, they extrapolated that the prehistoric shark, sometimes called Megatooth shark, could have grown to a maximum size of 80 feet (24 meters) in length. His studyPosted today in the magazine Electronic PhaleantologyIt also provides a potential vision of why certain shark species could achieve gigantism, while others remained baby sharks compared (DOO, DOO, DOO, DOO, DOO, DOO).

Based on a partial fossilized spine of 36 feet (11 meters) fossilized (spine) unearthed in Belgium, the team investigated how large the other parts of the shark body could have been. Directed by Paleobiologist Kenshu Shimada of the University of Depaul, they compared the shark column with the body proportions of 145 species of living sharks and 20 species of extinct sharks.

As a result of this analysis and its assumption that the megalodon body was similar to that of most sharks, the researchers estimated that a megalodon with a 36 -feet long tail would have had a 6 -feet head long (1.8 meters long) and 12 -foot long tail (3.6 meters long). In total, this individual would have had a fry 54 feet long (16.4 meters).

If you think it’s huge, a surprise awaits you. The researchers applied these proportions to an alleged megalodon vertebra discovered in Denmark, some of the greatest megalodon vertebrae ever discovered. The team concluded that the Danish shark would have had 80 feet long (24.3 meters) and weighed 94 tons.

“The duration of 24.3 meters is currently the largest possible reasonable estimate for O. Megalodon That can be justified based on science and this fossil record, “said Phillip Sternes, co -author of the SeaWorld San Diego study and biologist at a University of Depaul statement.

But how was a megalodon? Because a complete skeleton has never been found, academics can only study the prehistoric beast analyzing partial remains and comparing them with other shark species. However, their teeth are similar to those of the great targets, so both the academy and the entertainment industry (as well as the characteristic image of this article) have tended to represent the extinct species as a great gigantic white shark.

But the new study “has solidified the idea that O. Megalodon It was not simply a gigantic version of the great modern white shark, which supported our previous study“Sternes explained.

“What distinguishes our study from all previous documents on body size and estimates of the form of O. Megalodon It is the use of a completely new approach that does not depend solely on the great modern white shark, ”added Jake Wood, co -author and biologist at Florida Atlantic University.

In fact, Wood, Sternes and his colleagues theorized that the megalodon would have seen more thin than the great bulky white, more similar to the lemon shark. Then they noticed that today’s giant marine creatures, such as whale sharks, sharks and whales, also have thinner and hydrodynamic shapes. This realization led them to raise the hypothesis that bulky marine vertebrates, such as large white sharks, cannot grow to huge sizes (UF!) Without changing their physical shape; Otherwise, swimming would become too inefficient.

“Many interpretations we did are still tentative, but they are based on data and will serve as reasonable reference points for future studies on the biology of O. Megalodon“Shimada concluded.

It is worth emphasizing that without access to a complete Megalodon skeleton, the equipment -based approach required a good amount of conjectures and assumptions. In addition, the proportions of the shark body vary dramatically, so comparing them may not lead to precise conclusions. Finally, although assuming that the sizes of the vertebrae will be correlated with the length of the body is logical, it is not infallible. It remains to be seen if future fossil discoveries will demonstrate that good.

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

(Flee, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo …)