The giant extinct shark species known as the Megalodon has attracted attention from scientists and the general public, and even inspired the 2018 blockbuster film Meg. The species lives around 3.6 million years ago, and no complete skeleton has been discovered yet. Therefore, among other characteristics, there has been considerable debate among paleontologists about the size, body shape and swimming speed of megalodons.
Some researchers compared the megalodon to a massive version of the harsh Great White shark, while others believe the species has a slender body shape. A new paper published in the Journal Palaeontologia Electronica bolsters the latter perspective and also draws conclusions about megalodon weight, swimming speed (based on hydrodynamic principles), and growth patterns.
As previously reported, the largest sharks living today reach a length of up to 20 meters, but are whale sharks, a sedative filter feeder. However, recently 4 million years ago, sharks of that size may contain the fast-moving predator megalodon (officially Otodus Megalodon). With the incomplete fossil data, we are not entirely sure how large the megalodon is, but we can only speculate based on some of our living relatives.
Thank you for your research Released in 2023 In the fossilized teeth, I am pretty sure that Megalodon shared something else with these relatives. It’s not completely cold-blooded, it exceeds the temperature of the surrounding sea. Like most fish, most sharks are exothermic. In other words, your body temperature is consistent with the temperature of the surrounding water. However, a handful of species are part of a group called mackerel sharks and are endothermic. There is a special pattern of blood circulation that helps to retain some of the heat that the muscles produce. This allows you to keep your body part at a higher temperature than your surroundings.
Particularly related to this latest paper Research in 2022 Jack Cooper and his co-authors of Swansea University in the UK. 2020, The team reconstructed a 2D model of Megalodon based on the dimensions of similar existing shark species. Researchers followed up with a 3D model reconstructed in 2022 and estimated dimensions from Belgian megalodon specimens (vertebrals). Cooper concluded that Megalodon was a powerful shark. It is approximately 52 feet (16 meters) long and can be measured to weigh 67.86 tons and run fast bursts to attack prey.
