How big was the prehistoric megalodon?

Recent studies suggest the megalodon could have reached lengths of up to 80 feet and weighed approximately 94 tons.

What did the megalodon look like?

Scientists now believe the megalodon had a more slender, whale-like or lemon shark-like body shape, rather than resembling a colossal great white shark.

What caused the megalodon to go extinct?

Competition with the emerging great white shark, which had lower energy demands, is hypothesized to have contributed to the megalodon's extinction.

Home / Science / Megalodon: Bigger, Faster, and More Shark-like?

Megalodon: Bigger, Faster, and More Shark-like?

10 Feb

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Summary

Megalodon was larger than previously thought, reaching 80ft and 94 tons.
New research suggests a more slender, whale-like body shape.
Great white sharks may have contributed to megalodon's extinction.

Megalodon: Bigger, Faster, and More Shark-like?

Recent studies reveal that the prehistoric megalodon, a formidable ancient sea creature, was significantly larger than previously understood. New analyses suggest these "supercarnivores" could have reached lengths of up to 80 feet and weighed approximately 94 tons, dwarfing even the largest great white sharks.

Contrary to earlier depictions, the megalodon's body shape is now believed to have been more akin to a lemon shark or a large whale, possessing a slender, torpedo-like form optimized for efficient swimming. This physique would have allowed it to thrive as an opportunistic hunter, consuming prey from all levels of the marine food web.

While megalodons dominated the oceans for nearly 20 million years, their reign ended approximately 3.6 million years ago. Researchers hypothesize that competition with the emerging great white shark, which had lower energy demands and could thus hunt more frequently, may have played a role in driving the megatooth clade to extinction.