Scientists claim that the megalodon, which is the biggest shark that has ever existed, may not have resembled the great white shark in appearance. Rather, the megalodon may have been thinner and longer compared to the great white shark.
Megalodon Appearance
The researchers found this by performing a reanalysis on the spine of a megalodon fossil. The team observed that there were discrepancies in earlier reconstructions that suggest that these massive sharks had a body length of roughly 16 meters and that their shape is similar to that of a great white shark.
Co-author and paleobiologist Kenshu Shimada from DePaul University explains that the earlier reconstruction of the shark's body shape and skeleton had an awkward appearance.
The research team, comprising 26 shark experts, documented their findings in the "Megalodon body form White shark comparison reveals a slender body for the extinct megatooth shark, Otodus megalodon (Lamniformes: Otodontidae)" study.
Great white sharks typically serve as a model to offer estimates regarding the size and possible appearance of the megalodon shark. This is due to the fact that the skeletons of sharks largely consist of cartilage, which has a lesser likelihood of being preserved. Because of this, scientists have only found the vertebrae and teeth of megalodon sharks. Being a close relative of the species and an apex predator with similar traits and diets, great white sharks are believed to be a proper model for megalodon sharks.
As part of the study, the researchers looked into CT scans of the vertebral skeleton of a juvenile great white shark. They then compared it with a megalodon specimen's vertebra. The findings reveal differences in the growth of the centrum, which is the vertebrae's solid and central portion. Among Lamniform sharks (which is the order that both great white sharks and megalodon sharks are part of) that exist today, centrum growth is associated with girth. The vertebral column of the megalodon was observed to be significantly thinner compared to that of the great white shark. The authors interpret this as showing that the megalodon was more slender compared to the great white shark.
The earlier analysis suggested that the length of the vertebrae spanned 11.1 meters. However, the new findings show that this could have been the minimum length. The researchers argue that the megalodon could have been slimmer and longer and may not have resembled the appearance of the great white shark.
Rather, the megalodon could have been more similar to a mako shark, as noted by Philip Sternes, a co-lead author of the study and biologist from the University of California Riverside.
As for the megalodon's possible size, the researchers do not want to comment unless they have concrete evidence. Nevertheless, the evidence suggests that the creature could have easily spanned 15 meters or even 20 meters in length. Shimada explains that they need at least one complete skeleton of the shark to be more certain regarding the creature's body form and size.
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Controversial Findings
While the researchers question the previous study's findings, they still think that it was vital in helping them reach these new conclusions.
However, the previous study's authors are not very convinced by the new findings. Jack Cooper, the previous study's lead author and a researcher from Swansea University, along with his colleagues, say that the new study serves more like an alternative hypothesis that goes through "circular logic."
They add that the authors of the new study do not offer a new length estimation in their study. They also note that the new study ignores the fact that the earlier one examined several examples of sharks that are alive today and that one model also showed a body that was elongated and that was based on just the great white shark.
They note that, more critically, various aspects of the study are impossible to verify further or even replicate as the researchers do not offer raw data.
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