Latest news with #Sternes
USA Today
12-03-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Largest shark that ever lived: Scientists unlock mystery about the megalodon
The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film 'The Meg,' dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago. USA TODAY The biggest, most formidable shark to have ever roamed the ocean may have been even larger than previously thought, according to a new study. The research, published Sunday in the journal 'Palaeontologia Electronica,' suggests that the megalodon, which dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago, was more than three times the size of a great white shark. The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film " The Meg," was previously believed to be between 50 and 65 feet long. But the new study, conducted by researchers in 28 countries, found the megalodon could have reached a whopping 80 feet in length, roughly the size of two school buses. The study helps confirm the hypothesis that the megalodon was not 'merely a gigantic version of the modern-day great white shark,' as previously thought, said Phillip Sternes, an educator at SeaWorld San Diego and a researcher on the project. Instead, the shark could have closer cousins today. It also sheds light on the mystery of how the fearsome carnivore may have gone extinct millions of years ago – and the role the smaller great white shark played. How big was Megalodon? Scientists have long struggled to determine the size of the megalodon because no complete fossil of the extinct animal has been found. Past studies have estimated the megalodon's length and body shape by comparing it to the great white shark, which has similar large, serrated teeth. But Sternes said those studies relied on assumptions about similarities between only the two shark species. The new study compared megalodon fossils with more than 150 living and extinct shark species. It found the megalodon may have had a longer, more slender body resembling that of the modern lemon shark, rather than the great white. It could have ranged between around 54 feet long and 80 feet long, the study suggests. And that longer length isn't just a fun fact about the fearsome creatures. It could also paint a clearer picture about the way megalodons moved through the water. Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiology professor at DePaul University in Chicago who led the study, said findings about the megalodon's maybe-slender body align with what scientists already know about other gigantic aquatic animals: Thinner bodies allow long animals to swim more efficiently. If the megalodon was a similar shape and size to the modern great white shark, that stocky body would 'not allow it to be an efficient swimmer,' to catch prey and survive, Shimada explained. So what killed the megalodon? Little is known about how and why megalodon went extinct around 3 million years ago. But the study says the great white shark could have had something to do with it. The fossil record and 'inferred growth patterns,' suggests that the rise of the great white shark, and the competition it brought, actually helped lead to the demise of the megalodon, the study states. Researchers are still investigating the megalodon's evolution, but Sternes told USA TODAY one possibility is that the predator's large body might not have been as adaptable as smaller shark species, even if it could swim freely. 'We've learned about how the planet fluctuates with different environmental factors, how life responds to it,' he said. 'Understanding the past can better inform us about both the present and the future for life on Earth.'
USA Today
10-03-2025
- Science
- USA Today
Largest shark that ever lived: Scientists unlock mystery about the megalodon
Largest shark that ever lived: Scientists unlock mystery about the megalodon The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film 'The Meg,' dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago. Show Caption Hide Caption Kayaker paddles for his life as great white shark appears to stalk him A kayaker escaped unscathed after he spotted a great white shark while fishing for yellow kingfish. The shark followed him for eight minutes. The biggest, most formidable shark to have ever roamed the ocean may have been even larger than previously thought, according to a new study. The research, published Sunday in the journal 'Palaeontologia Electronica,' suggests that the megalodon, which dominated the ocean 3.5 million years ago, was more than three times the size of a great white shark. The monster shark, depicted in the 2018 sci-fi horror film "The Meg," was previously believed to be between 50 and 65 feet long. But the new study, conducted by researchers in 28 countries, found the megalodon could have reached a whopping 80 feet in length, roughly the size of two school buses. The study helps confirm the hypothesis that the megalodon was not 'merely a gigantic version of the modern-day great white shark,' as previously thought, said Phillip Sternes, an educator at SeaWorld San Diego and a researcher on the project. Instead, the shark could have closer cousins today. It also sheds light on the mystery around how the fearsome carnivore may have gone extinct millions of years ago – and the role the smaller great white shark played. How big was Megalodon? Scientists have long struggled to determine the size of the megalodon because no complete fossil of the extinct animal has been found. Past studies have estimated the megalodon's length and body shape by comparing it to the great white shark, which has similar large, serrated teeth. But Sternes said those studies relied on assumptions about similarities between only the two shark species. The new study compared megalodon fossils with more than 150 living and extinct shark species. It found the megalodon may have had a longer, more slender body resembling that of the modern lemon shark, rather than the great white. It could have ranged between around 54 feet long and 80 feet long, the study suggests. And that longer length isn't just a fun fact about the fearsome creatures. It could also paint a clearer picture about the way megalodons moved through the water. Kenshu Shimada, a paleobiology professor at DePaul University in Chicago who led the study, said findings about the megalodon's maybe-slender body align with what scientists already know about other gigantic aquatic animals: Thinner bodies allow long animals to swim more efficiently. If the megalodon was a similar shape and size to the modern great white shark, that stocky body would 'not allow it to be an efficient swimmer,' to catch prey and survive, Shimada explained. So what killed the megalodon? Little is known about how and why megalodon went extinct around 3 million years ago. But the study says the great white shark could have had something to do with it. The fossil record and 'inferred growth patterns,' suggests that the rise of the great white shark, and the competition it brought, actually helped lead to the demise of the megalodon, the study states. Researchers are still investigating the megalodon's evolution, but Sternes told USA TODAY one possibility is that the predator's large body might not have been as adaptable as smaller shark species, even if it could swim freely. 'We've learned about how the planet fluctuates with different environmental factors, how life responds to it,' he said. 'Understanding the past can better inform us about both the present and the future for life on Earth.'
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Megalodon may have been ‘even longer' than we thought
If you picture a megalodon, chances are you envision what amounts to a gigantic great white shark. The image is understandable, given almost every depiction of the ancient apex predators across research and pop culture. But last year, an international team put forth a new anatomical design based on their analysis of incomplete fossilized vertebrae. According to the researchers, the famous megalodon was likely 'more slender and possibly even longer' than the prevailing theory. Rather than a great white, the team offered sleeker mako sharks for a frame of reference. The hypothesis kicked off a heated debate among paleobiologists, many of whom contended the evidence still simply didn't support giant prehistoric makos. Unfortunately, a follow-up study likely won't satisfy anyone who disagrees with the mako idea, either. According to many of the original study's authors, megalodons may have been even longer and leaner than they first proposed. In terms of today's shark parallels, think less 'mako' and more 'lemon.' The revised shape and size is detailed in a paper published on March 9 in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica. After comparing portions of a megalodon's vertebral column to over 100 species of living and extinct shark species, researchers now estimate the megalodon may have topped out at around 80-feet-long, or about two school buses, while weighing as much as 94 tons—roughly as massive as a blue whale. For reference, the predominant megalodon theory puts them at 50-65 feet long and 53-115 tons. Based on their conclusions, even newborn megalodons were sizable creatures, and likely measured as large as a modern adult great white. 'It is entirely possible that megalodon pups were already taking down marine mammals shortly after being born,' Phillip Sternes, a co-author on both papers, argued in an accompanying statement. Sternes also contends the latest study 'provides the most robust analysis yet of megalodon's body size and shape.' 'Rather than resembling an oversized great white shark, it was actually more like an enormous lemon shark, with a more slender, elongated body,' he said. 'That shape makes a lot more sense for moving efficiently through water.' While the great white shark's bulkier, torpedo-like frame makes it perfect for quick bursts of speed, the lemon shark evolved for energy-efficient, sustained ocean cruising. This concept of evolutionary efficiency played into the team's alternative theory, as well. Tim Higham, a study co-author and biologist at University of California Riverside, offered Olympic swimmers as a comparison. 'You lead with your head when you swim because it's more efficient than leading with your stomach,' he explained in a statement. 'Similarly, evolution moves toward efficiency, much of the time.' If there's anywhere Team Lemon (formerly Team Mako) and Team Great White may find common ground, it's megalodon speed. Rather than a high-speed chaser or a slower, methodic hunter, the study's authors suggest a balance in which the sharks generally swam at a moderate pace while able to attack in quick bursts. 'Gigantism isn't just about getting bigger—it's about evolving the right body to survive at that scale,' Sternes said. 'And megalodon may have been one of the most extreme examples of that.'
