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Megalodon size estimates vary depending on the method used, with maximum total length estimates ranging from 14.2–20.3 meters (47–67 ft). A 2015 study estimated the average total body length at 10.5 meters (34 ft), calculated from 544 megalodon teeth, found throughout geological time and geography, including adults and juveniles.
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megalodon, (Carcharocles megalodon), member of an extinct species of megatooth shark (Otodontidae) that is considered to be the largest shark, as well as the largest fish, that ever lived. Fossils attributed to megalodon have been found dating from the early Miocene Epoch (which began 23.03 million years ago) to the end of the Pliocene Epoch (2.58 ...
Fossil remains of megalodon have been found in shallow tropical and temperate seas along the coastlines and continental shelf regions of all continents except Antarctica. During the early and middle parts of the Miocene Epoch (which lasted from 23 million to 5.3 million years ago), large seaways separated North America from South America and Europe...
Megalodon was the largest fish ever known, a designation based on discoveries of hundreds of fossil teeth, two vertebral columns, and a handful of individual vertebrae. Tooth-shape similarities between megalodon and modern great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) suggest that the two species may have been close relatives, and thus megalodon likely resembled that species in appearance—that is, as a bulky torpedo-shaped fish with a conical snout, large pectoral and dorsal fins, and a strong crescent-shaped tail. Estimates of body length are calculated using the statistical relationship between the size of megalodon’s fossil teeth and the teeth and body mass of modern white sharks and other living relatives. This data suggests that mature adult megalodons had a mean length of 10.2 metres (about 33.5 feet), the largest specimens measuring 17.9 metres (58.7 feet) long. Some scientists, however, contend that the largest forms may have measured up to 25 metres (82 feet) long. Studies estimate that adult body mass ranged from roughly 30 metric tons (1 metric ton = 1,000 kg; about 66,000 pounds) to more than 65 metric tons (about 143,000 pounds), adult females being larger (in both length and mass) than adult males.
Megalodon teeth are similar to those of modern white sharks in that they are triangular, serrated, and symmetrical. They differ from modern white shark teeth in that they are larger and thicker, the serrations on each tooth occur in regular intervals, and they possess a bourlette (a darker, chevron-shaped region near the tooth’s root). The largest extant megalodon tooth measures 17.8 cm (6.9 inches) in length, almost three times longer than those of modern white sharks (which are typically about 5.4 cm [2.1 inches] long). In addition, megalodon possessed a ferocious bite; its bite diameter was 3 metres (about 9.8 feet), several times larger than the bite diameter of averaged-sized white sharks.
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Understanding Megalodon
Megalodon is thought to have produced live young. It is not known, however, whether the species was ovoviviparous (in which eggs are retained within the mother until they hatch) or viviparous (in which fertilized embryos derive continuous nourishment from the mother). Estimates of body size using juvenile teeth suggest that newly birthed young may have been at least 2 metres (6.6 feet) in length.
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Few details are known about megalodon courtship, but the species appears to have used nurseries for its young. A 2010 study identified a megalodon nursery along the Panamanian coast, which was characterized by the presence of juvenile teeth from various stages of life. Scientists posit that this shallow warm-water nursery provided young megalodons with access to a diverse array of smaller, more-abundant prey and enabled adults to better intercept attacks from other predatory shark species, such as hammerhead sharks. As the young sharks grew older, it is thought that they would make forays into deeper water to pursue larger animals.
Megalodon was the largest shark and fish ever known, with a mean length of 10.2 metres and a bite diameter of 3 metres. Learn about its distribution, physical features, extinction, and possible relatives from Britannica.
- John P. Rafferty
Learn about the scientific methods and evidence used to estimate the size of the extinct Megalodon shark, which was the largest known predator in the history of the Earth. Compare its length and weight with other animals and see examples of its teeth and jaw reconstruction.
Megalodon was the largest shark ever to have existed, growing to between 15 and 18 metres in length. Learn about its size, diet, appearance, extinction and more from the experts at the Natural History Museum.
The megalodon was a massive shark. The largest were roughly 60 feet in length and attained perhaps up to 50 tons, the size and weight of a railroad car. Female megalodons were, on average larger, at about 44 to 56 feet (13-17 m) and males were about 34 to 47 feet (10-14 m).
Aug 17, 2022 · But new 3-D modeling of the shark, published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, suggests that the megalodon may have been larger, faster and more wide-ranging than previously thought.
Sep 8, 2020 · The researchers’ 2D models of megalodon at different lengths: ( a) ~52.5-ft., ( b) ~9.8-ft., and ( c) ~26.3-ft. The megalodon, which had a solid 13 million-year run as king of the...
