Odd News Show

New Study Unveils Megalodon’s Slender Physique, Redefining Ancient Ocean Predator

A groundbreaking study reveals that the Megalodon was slimmer & longer than previously believed. The revised understanding impacts marine ecology, feeding habits, and proposes new theories about the ancient giant shark’s extinction.

By Richard Cole · January 22, 2024

AI Generation of a Megalodon Johnson-Mortimer/Deviant Art

A recent study published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica has overturned long-held assumptions about the body shape of the Megalodon, a massive shark species that went extinct 3.6 million years ago. The findings of the study, co-led by Phillip Sternes and Kenshu Shimada, have significant implications for our understanding of Megalodon behavior, ancient ocean life, and the reasons behind the shark’s extinction.

The Megalodon’s Revised Body Shape

Traditionally depicted as a super-sized monster in popular culture, previous studies assumed that the Megalodon reached lengths of at least 50 to 65 feet, based on its teeth and vertebrae found in the fossil record. However, the incomplete nature of the fossil data led researchers to use the modern great white shark as a model for Megalodon bodies, leading to the assumption that the Megalodon was round and stocky like great whites.

Previous and new schematic interpretations of Otodus megalodon body form  Cooper et al/UCR

The recent study, however, challenges this assumption. The research team re-examined the fossil record and found that the Megalodon was more slender and possibly even longer than previously thought. The team compared Megalodon vertebra fossils to those of living lamniform shark relatives and used a CT scanner to measure the whole vertebral skeleton of a living great white shark. This comparison indicated that the Megalodon was not merely a larger version of the modern great white shark, proposing a new interpretation of its physique.

Implications for Megalodon Behavior and Extinction

The revised understanding of the Megalodon’s body type has significant implications. A slimmer and more elongated body suggests that the Megalodon also had a longer digestive canal, potentially enabling enhanced absorption of nutrients and reducing the need for frequent feeding.

"With increased ability to digest its food, it could have gone for longer without needing to hunt. This means less predation pressure on other marine creatures... If I only have to eat one whale every so often, whale populations would remain more stable over time."
Phillip Sternes, UCR biologist and the paper's first author

Furthermore, the study challenges previous theories about the Megalodon’s extinction. While some scientists have theorized that a natural decrease in prey led to the extinction of Megalodons, Sternes proposed another theory. He suggested that the emergence of the more agile great white shark, possibly a superior predator, could have led to competition for food, contributing to the Megalodon’s ultimate demise.

The Global Impact of the Study

The research team, comprising scientists from the U.S., UK, Austria, France, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, and Australia, believes that the revised understanding of ancient marine life will have a cascading effect on present-day oceans. The study represents a major stepping stone for further research into the Megalodon’s lifestyle, behavior, and extinction, opening new avenues for investigation.

The findings have fueled a need to reinvestigate how the Megalodon truly lived and what caused its extinction, signaling a potential paradigm shift in our understanding of this iconic extinct shark species.