Megalodon, a shark species that could eat a whale in just 5 bites: All you need to know

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

Published on: Aug 19, 2022, 07:15:06 IST

By HT News Desk

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The megalodon, an extinct species of mackerel shark which used to exist millions of years ago, could have devoured a creature as big as a killer whale in just five bites, a newly-published research has found.

This illustration provided by J. J. Giraldo depicts a 16-meter (52-foot) Otodus megalodon shark predating on an 8-meter (26-foot) Balaenoptera whale in the Pliocene epoch, between 5.4 to 2.4 million years ago. (J. J. Giraldo via AP)

The study was published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. The team derived the following conclusions after studying a 3D model of the megalodon:

(1.) From its nose to tail, the megalodon was 50 feet (16 metres) long, and was thus longer than a bus. Its size, therefore, was two to three times that of today's great white shark.

(2.) It was fast swimmer, with its average cruising speed being more than that of sharks today. Due to this feature, it could have migrated across oceans with ease.

(3.) The megalodon had a weight of around 70 tons, or, in other words, a single adult member of this shark species was as heavy as 10 elephants together. Also, each of its teeth was as big as a human fist.

(4.) It could open its jaw to almost 6 feet (2 metres) wide, and, therefore, feed on other big creatures. With a full stomach, it could roam the oceans for months at a time.

(5.) John Hutchinson, a co-author of the study, described the megalodon as a 'superpredator just dominating its ecosystem. Nothing really could match this creature, Hutchinson added.

(With AP inputs)

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