{"id":200427,"date":"2021-03-12T13:42:16","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T10:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist\/"},"modified":"2021-03-12T13:42:16","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T10:42:16","slug":"the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist\/","title":{"rendered":"#The science behind measuring the biggest shark to ever exist"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2c16c0a4402\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2c16c0a4402\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist\/#Making_the_meghead\" >Making the meghead<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist\/#Magnificent_displays_make_for_great_selfies\" >Magnificent displays make for great selfies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist\/#Calculating_maximum_size\" >Calculating maximum size<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-science-behind-measuring-the-biggest-shark-to-ever-exist\/#The_megashark_lineage\" >The megashark lineage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a> behind measuring the biggest shark to ever exist<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n                            The giant prehistoric <em>Carcharocles megalodon<\/em> (or <em>Otodus megalodon<\/em> for some researchers) was the largest predatory shark to ever swim in Earth\u2019s seas. Scientific evidence points to megalodon having lived between <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/peerj.com\/articles\/6088\/?fbclid=IwAR2zfYl7LxrXBWbY-RG4K7Z36-zjj6U0s3_AvlgHfHt785gTrqMZ7zJF1qA\">16 million and 2.6 million years ago<\/a>, going extinct at the end of the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Pliocene-Epoch\">Pliocene Epoch<\/a> when the world\u2019s oceans were much colder than today\u2019s.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"216\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=216&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=216&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=216&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=271&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=271&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/387152\/original\/file-20210302-23-1ns3rqn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=271&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/science\/2021\/03\/12\/science-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fscience%2F2021%2F03%2F12%2Fscience-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Reconstruction of a 16m megalodon. Illustration by Oliver Demuth\/Jack Cooper\" data-title=\"Share Reconstruction of a 16m megalodon. Illustration by Oliver Demuth\/Jack Cooper on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Reconstruction of a 16m megalodon. Illustration by Oliver Demuth\/Jack Cooper on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Reconstruction of a 16m megalodon. Illustration by Oliver Demuth\/Jack Cooper<span class=\"attribution\" style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\/><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"\/><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Over the years, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/08912963.2019.1666840\">several<\/a> <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-020-71387-y?fbclid=IwAR1VlijIgASwsZSgYLPZs4PuFZ-kHP6PkR5_0vf-u-IL_8Xm0sCwp2CgTNw%3Ca%20href=\">research<\/a> papers have estimated meg\u2019s size. Its teeth are shaped like large, flat triangles with serrated edges \u2014 much like the teeth of living <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/animals\/fish\/facts\/great-white-shark\">white sharks<\/a>. White sharks, along with <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/mako-shark\">mako sharks<\/a> and the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/oceana.org\/marine-life\/sharks-rays\/porbeagle-shark\">porbeagle shark<\/a> all belong in the family Lamnidae and are referred to as \u201clamnids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The close similarities between meg teeth and those of living lamnid sharks are strong evidence meg was indeed an ancient kind of lamnid shark. This premise is important, as it forms the basis of how we estimate the size of this ancient giant.<\/p>\n<p>Two museum exhibits recently opened public displays featuring spectacular models of megalodon: one at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC, and the other at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip in Perth.<\/p>\n<p>These models, while both outstanding, don\u2019t depict entirely the same shark. So how was each one made? And what scientific <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roaches were used?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><i>[Read:\u00a0<\/i><span class=\"s1\"><i>How do you build a pet-friendly gadget? We asked experts and animal owners<\/i><\/span><i>]<\/i><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Making_the_meghead\"><\/span>Making the meghead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/blogs\/national-museum-of-natural-history\/2019\/07\/29\/megalodon-may-be-extinct-theres-life-size-one-smithsonian\/\">Smithsonian\u2019s megalodon model<\/a> is a full-body reconstruction measuring 15 meters. The other, at the Museum Boola Bardip, is a beautifully crafted model of meg\u2019s head. This was built under the direction of one of us (Mikael) and opened to the public in November.<\/p>\n<p>The shape of the \u201cmeghead\u201d is similar to a white shark\u2019s head, but has a shorter and much rounder snout. Its coloration features \u201ccounter-shading\u201d with a dark back and lighter belly \u2014 also similar to white sharks, but less contrasted. The greater this color contrast, the easier it becomes for underwater predators to go unnoticed by prey.<\/p>\n<p>The meghead\u2019s jaw size was based on multiple teeth from a single ancient shark. These specimens allowed us to scale the body size to correspond with tooth size, as well as to match the widest front tooth of another megalodon found in Cape Range, Western Australia.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the meghead was then 3D modeled to fit the jaws. The end result was a head that corresponded to a creature roughly 14m in length. This would be the largest meg shark ever found in Western Australia, but not the largest overall.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"444\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=444&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=444&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=444&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=558&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=558&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388750\/original\/file-20210310-23-1eahzyk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=558&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><\/a><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/science\/2021\/03\/12\/science-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fscience%2F2021%2F03%2F12%2Fscience-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The giant megalodon head was scuplted by Vlad Konstantinov for Boola Bardip (WA Museum) Vlad Konstaninov, Mikael Siversson, Author provided\" data-title=\"Share The giant megalodon head was scuplted by Vlad Konstantinov for Boola Bardip (WA Museum) Vlad Konstaninov, Mikael Siversson, Author provided on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The giant megalodon head was scuplted by Vlad Konstantinov for Boola Bardip (WA Museum) Vlad Konstaninov, Mikael Siversson, Author provided on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The giant megalodon head was scuplted by Vlad Konstantinov for Boola Bardip (WA Museum) Vlad Konstaninov, Mikael Siversson, Author provided<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Magnificent_displays_make_for_great_selfies\"><\/span>Magnificent displays make for great selfies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The Smithsonian meg model was overseen by Hans-Dieter Sues, a US paleontologist who drew the shark\u2019s outline based on a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> lamnid shark body plan. This was then finessed by University of Maryland shark fossil expert Bretton Kent.<\/p>\n<p>After reviewing a small-scale model, the full-size model was constructed based on a complete set of meg teeth assembled by Gordon Hubble, another megalodon expert. Measuring a whopping 15m, the final model had to be assembled as modules, as it wouldn\u2019t have made it through the museum\u2019s doors or corridors in one piece.<\/p>\n<p>This model is now suspended by cables from the Smithsonian\u2019s walls and ceiling, positioned strategically so visitors may take selfies from a nearby balcony.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=300&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=300&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=300&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=377&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=377&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/385495\/original\/file-20210222-15-qebldd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=377&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/science\/2021\/03\/12\/science-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fscience%2F2021%2F03%2F12%2Fscience-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The 15m-long megalodon model on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Hans-Dieter Sues\/Smithsonian Museum\" data-title=\"Share The 15m-long megalodon model on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Hans-Dieter Sues\/Smithsonian Museum on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The 15m-long megalodon model on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Hans-Dieter Sues\/Smithsonian Museum on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The 15m-long megalodon model on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. Hans-Dieter Sues\/Smithsonian Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Calculating_maximum_size\"><\/span>Calculating maximum size<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The meghead model in Perth was based on several specific tooth specimens found locally and from overseas, painting a picture of a 14m-long predator.<\/p>\n<p>However, to calculate the species\u2019 <em>maximum<\/em> size, we first estimated the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/palaeo-electronica.org\/content\/2021\/3284-estimating-lamniform-body-size?fbclid=IwAR15wOp4rV6j2VNyqxvdqYm4KTna4SdoU_82nBW7wOsywTAdiFcVnXq879g\">maximum jaw size possible<\/a> for Meg and then scaled this up, using the same jaw size-to-body length ratio of living white sharks.<\/p>\n<p>The maximum jaw size of meg can be calculated by scaling up the few known \u201cassociated dentitions\u201d (multiple tooth specimens that were found together and came from a single shark) with the widest meg tooth ever found.<\/p>\n<p>Once we did this, the size estimate we reached was between 19\u201320m. And this is much larger than most other recent estimates.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_megashark_lineage\"><\/span>The megashark lineage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Scientists have discovered meg\u2019s teeth to be part of a species continuum known as the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/story\/science\/megalodon-alive-myth\/\">megatooth shark lineage<\/a>. This is based on the discovery of many thousands of fossilized teeth that seem to merge into new shapes over time, pointing to the evolution of new species.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center \">\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" class=\" lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" data-lazy=\"true\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=400&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/388470\/original\/file-20210309-17-i15mi4.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/science\/2021\/03\/12\/science-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication\/#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthenextweb.com%2Fscience%2F2021%2F03%2F12%2Fscience-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: A newly discovered megalodon tooth from near Exmouth, Western Australia. The serrated edge shown here is 145mm long. Geoff Deacon\/WA Museum\" data-title=\"Share A newly discovered megalodon tooth from near Exmouth, Western Australia. The serrated edge shown here is 145mm long. Geoff Deacon\/WA Museum on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share A newly discovered megalodon tooth from near Exmouth, Western Australia. The serrated edge shown here is 145mm long. Geoff Deacon\/WA Museum on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>A newly discovered megalodon tooth from near Exmouth, Western Australia. The serrated edge shown here is 145mm long. Geoff Deacon\/WA Museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The start of this lineage began in the Danian stage about 63 million years ago, when the first sharks of the genus <em>Otodus<\/em> appeared. This is why megalodon, belonging to this lineage, is now officially classified as <em>Otodus megalodon<\/em>. That said, the shark has been placed in various genera, including <em>Carcharocles<\/em> and <em>Procarcharodon<\/em>, and continues to be the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gbif.org\/species\/144096597\">subject of debate<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With an estimated body length of about 4m, the first <em>Otodus<\/em> sharks in the megatooth lineage would have been smaller than several other sharks living at the time. So how could they have evolved to become the colossus that is meg?<\/p>\n<p>DePaul University professor Kenshu Shimada has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurekalert.org\/pub_releases\/2021-01\/tfg-mgb010421.php\">suggested<\/a> meg\u2019s huge size may have had something to do with a strange trait of lamnid sharks, which is that their young eat each other in the womb.<\/p>\n<p>This behavior, called \u201cintrauterine cannibalism,\u201d provides a ready source of nutrition for growing fetuses and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1080\/08912963.2020.1812598\">may have driven increased<\/a> growth in megalodon. That said, it would have also forced mothers to feed more actively, due to increased nutrition demand from the rapidly growing young.<\/p>\n<p>This wouldn\u2019t have helped meg\u2019s survival when global temperatures cooled down about three million years ago. The cold spell would have killed off much of meg\u2019s food sources, eventually triggering its extinction.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, coastal limestone outcrops in Western Australia have yielded several new exciting megalodon teeth. We hope these will tell us more about the story of meg and its variations which swam through the seas of ancient Australia.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>This article by\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/john-long-98402\">John Long<\/a>, Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/flinders-university-972\">Flinders University<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/mikael-siversson-1209301\">Mikael Siversson<\/a>, Head of Department, Earth &amp; Planetary Sciences, <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/western-australian-museum-1157\">Western Australian Museum<\/a> is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/making-a-megalodon-the-evolving-science-behind-estimating-the-size-of-the-largest-ever-killer-shark-155475\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/science\/2021\/03\/12\/science-measuring-biggest-extinct-shark-syndication\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The science behind measuring the biggest shark to ever exist&#8221; The giant prehistoric Carcharocles megalodon (or Otodus megalodon for some researchers) was the largest predatory shark to ever swim in Earth\u2019s seas. Scientific evidence points to megalodon having lived between 16 million and 2.6 million years ago, going extinct at the end of the Pliocene&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":200428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2021\/03\/1-copy-22.jpg&signature=2f86690e1d8c6b77ffb463e1e7f1fc05","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[20358,71612],"class_list":["post-200427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-australia","tag-insights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/200428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}