Scientists have long known that the megalodon was the biggest, baddest shark in history, but new research suggests that the prehistoric predator was even larger, faster, and fiercer than previously thought.
Megalodons prowled the seas for some 13 million years before going extinct 3.6 million years ago. Most of what we know about the huge animals is based on their fossilized teeth, which have been found on every continent except Antarctica.
But now, thanks to new technology and a rare, well-preserved megalodon spine, an international team of scientists has been able to discover new facts about the species. They did it by creating a 3-D megalodon model using scans of the spine and teeth, plus a model of a great white shark, the most similar living species.
The new model suggests the spine came from a specimen nearly 52 feet long and weighing about 68 tons. An animal that huge needed a lot of fuel. The researchers estimate that an adult megalodon required more than 98,000 calories a day! (An adult human needs about 2,000 a day.)
Lucky for the megalodon, it was fast: The model suggests its cruising speed was about 3.1 miles per hour. (A great white shark travels about 1.9 miles per hour.) And its jaws opened wide enough to scarf down an orca (killer whale) in five bites.
After megalodons died out, researchers say, other animals evolved into the fearsome marine hunters of modern times—including today’s apex predator, the orca.