Megalodon shark

A giant shark that roamed the oceans millions of years ago could devour a creature the size of a killer whale in just five bites, new research suggests.

This giant shark was a trans-oceanic super-apex predator,” says Catalina Pimiento, professor at the University of Zurich and senior author of the study. A giant shark that roamed the oceans millions of years ago could devour a creature the size of a killer whale in just five bites, new research suggests.Scientists used fossil evidence to build a 3D model of the megalodon, one of the biggest predatory fish to ever live. Even other high-level predators may have been lunch meat for the megalodon, which could open its jaw to almost 6 feet (2 metres) wide, Pimiento added.

A giant shark that swam in the world's oceans millions of years ago could devour prey up to 26ft long – the size of a killer whale – in just five bites, ...

The vertebrae had been at a Belgian museum since the 1860s. The giant fish required more than 98,000 calories a day – that’s 49 times as many as a woman – and had a stomach volume of almost 10,000 litres. [Terms of use,](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/user-policies-a6184151.html) [Cookie policy](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/cookie-policy-a6184186.html) and [Privacy notice.](https://www.independent.co.uk/service/privacy-policy-a6184181.html) It was a strong swimmer, with an average cruising speed higher than today’s [Privacy policy](https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en) and [Terms of service](https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en) apply. [the study](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abm9424) in the journal Science Advances.

Researchers have created a 3D computer model of a megalodon shark based on fossilized teeth and vertebrae, giving us our best look yet at the ancient ...

The researchers think that these infrequent but massive meals could have sustained the megalodon during massive transoceanic migrations, which it would have completed in record times due to its zippy cruising speed. [calories](https://www.livescience.com/52802-what-is-a-calorie.html) every day, which is around 20 times more than a great white shark requires. [megalodon](https://www.livescience.com/63361-megalodon-facts.html) (Otodus megalodon) was the largest shark to ever swim through [Earth](https://www.livescience.com/earth.html)'s oceans. Given the size of the megalodon's massive mouth, the gigantic predator could have consumed prey this large in as few as five bites, according to the study. [elephants](https://www.livescience.com/27320-elephants.html). The 3D model revealed that the megalodon was likely around 52 feet (16 meters) long. For example, previous research suggested that the megalodon may have After working out the megalodon's size and mass, the researchers then compared it with 28 species of living sharks to estimate how quickly it could swim. The scientists then combined these data to create a digitally reconstructed 3D megalodon that researchers could use to peer into the secret lives of the giant beast. to create a rough blueprint of the megalodon's skeleton. The finds were revealed thanks to a new 3D model of the long-extinct shark, based on data collected from fossilized teeth and vertebrae, which is giving scientists the best look yet at the size, speed and diet of the infamous "superpredator." It first emerged around 23 million years ago and went extinct about 2.6 million years ago, likely [due to the emergence of great white sharks](https://www.livescience.com/great-white-sharks-megalodon-extinction).

Notably, this is the size of modern killer whales, today's top ocean predator. An ability to eat large apex predators of comparable size millions of years ago ...

The study helps to better understand the ecological function that megafaunal species play in marine ecosystems and the large-scale consequences of their extinction. “The extinction of this iconic giant shark likely impacted global nutrient transport and released large cetaceans from a strong predatory pressure.” Finally, they completed the model by adding “flesh” around the skeleton using a 3D scan of the body of a great white shark from South Africa. An optimal foraging model of potential megalodon prey encounters found that eating a single 8-meter-long (26-foot-long) whale may have allowed the shark to swim thousands of miles across oceans without eating again for two months. Next, they attached the column to a 3D scan of a megalodon’s dentition from the United States. The megalodon vertebral column from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is, therefore, a one-of-a-kind fossil.”

According to the new study published in the journal Science Advances, the Megalodon could “completely ingest, and in as few as five bites,” a prey as big as ...

In comparison, the great white sharks of the present can grow to a maximum length of around 15 feet. Using a previously established relationship between speed and body mass, researchers calculated that the Megalodon had an average cruising speed faster than sharks today. According to the study, the Megalodon was bigger than a school bus at around 50 feet from nose to tail. The technique was used as the Megalodon’s skeleton is made of soft cartilage that doesn’t fossilize well. According to the new study published in the journal Science Advances, the Megalodon could “completely ingest, and in as few as five bites,” a prey as big as the killer whale. Using fossil evidence to create a three-dimensional model, researchers have found new evidence about the life of one of the biggest predatory animals of all time — the Megalodon.

While movies such as The Meg have given people an idea of how big a megalodon could be, a recent 3-D model published in Science Advances shows how much of ...

A new 3D model suggests the extinct megalodon shark could've eaten some very large prey. J.J. Giraldo. Megalodon. A jumbo apex predator. The biggest ...

Megalodon was already known to have snacked on whales, a good source of calories thanks to the blubber. "Weight is one of the most important traits of any animal. A new [study done in collaboration with University of Zurich researchers](https://www.news.uzh.ch/en/articles/media/2022/Megalodon.html) suggests megalodon "could fully consume prey the size of today's killer whales." Jack Cooper, a doctoral student at Swansea University and lead author of the "These results suggest that the megalodon could travel long distances and was capable of eating whole prey of up to 8 meters long," the The animal had lived in the region of Belgium and died about 18 million years ago.

This is among the conclusions of a recent study, which was published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

Also, each of its teeth was as big as a human fist. With a full stomach, it could roam the oceans for months at a time. The study was published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

The study suggests that the shark had quite the fierce feeding ecology with the ability to ingest completely and, in as few as five bites, prey as large as an ...

The resulting model suggests that the megalodon had a body size of approximately 15.9 meters — considerably longer than a previous estimate of 9.2 meters. For example, the study highlights that the megalodon’s body mass was last estimated in the early 1990s and was based on the now disfavored assumption that C. The study also challenges what was previously known about the apex predator’s ‘cruising’ speed and feeding habits. Therefore, the size and shape of other components of the megalodon’s anatomy inferred from these fragments remain questionable — and in some cases, outdated. [According to a new 3D modeling study published in Science Advances](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abm9424), the extinct giant shark, Otodus megalodon, could reach body sizes and speeds much greater than previously imagined. As the largest shark to have ever roamed the oceans, the megalodon, meaning ‘big tooth,’ continues to capture widespread interest.