According to researchers, surprisingly slim, according to researchers

This would have been about six times as long as a white shark. It would be more corresponding to that of a blue whale, and with an estimated weight of about 94 tons it would be almost as difficult. According to the researchers, the cylindrical body of the megalodon is probably designed for energy -efficient journeys than on high speed yachts.

Megalodon as a giantism extract
With the massive predator that can be seen in Luguber films, he probably had little in common. “Gigantism is not only about getting bigger, but also about developing the right body to survive in this size,” said co -author Phillip Sternes. “And the megalodon was perhaps one of the most extreme examples.”

The PrimeVal Shark became known for, among other things, the science fiction films “Meg” and “Meg 2: The Depth”, in which such giants come from depth. Until now, the species that lived about 15 to 3.6 million years ago and that was spread almost worldwide in the oceans have not been found a complete skeleton, but especially individual huge teeth and vertebrae. Scientists therefore trust estimates for determining the size and form.

The spine gives new conclusions
Due to serrated teeth in the same way, it has long been assumed that Megalodon and Witte Shark looked very similar. The team around Kenshu Shimada of Depaul University in Chicago was not based on tooth analyzes, but compared the petrified, about eleven meters long and almost complete spine of a megalodon with the shark, body, body and tail that live and extinct.

For this specimen, the scientists appreciate a total length of a good 16 meters at about 30 tons. Derived from other, much larger vertebrae, they also assume that several decades of old megalodons can be more than 24 meters long.

The team was also about the relationships. White sharks (Carcharodon Carcharias) have a stocky, favorable physique with a wide middle part, which is very tapered in the direction of the tail. The megalodon, on the other hand, was probably a middle thing between lightning -in -case robbers and cozy travelers.

Rather a kind of oversized lemon shark
“It was not comparable to an oversized white shark, but rather a huge lemon shark with a slim, long -extended body,” said Sternes. This form is more sensible for such a large animal to be able to move through water efficiently. Modern giant gigantic sharks such as the Walhai (Rhincodon type) and the gigantic shark (Cetorhinus Maximus) as well as other huge water rifles such as whales would also have a slim body.

As a newborn, a megalodon may be perhaps three and a half to four meters long and therefore as large as many adult sharks of today’s species. “It is quite possible that Megalodon junge wore marine mammals shortly after her birth,” Sternes said.

Only a new find will bring clarity
All their interpretations are working hypotheses and still temporarily emphasize the researchers – ultimately the discovery of a complete skeleton security will make. The results support an earlier analysis of the team with Phillip Stern as the first author. Computer tomography scans of the vertebrae of a white shark and data from the megalodon from earlier studies were used. These results suggested that the megalodon was not just a huge version of the modern white shark.