It is still a sad truth in this world that we He will never know for sure How did Megalodon have long been lost-but a new study gave us what may be the most accurate reconstruction so far.
An international team led by the excavation scientist Kinsho Shimada from the University of Debol in the United States decided that Megalodon (Odontus MegalodonPerhaps it was longer and more elegant than the previous explanations of its mysterious, mysterious residues.
“This study provides the strongest analysis after the size and shape of Megalodon’s body,” The marine biologist Philip Stern saysPreviously from the University of California Riverid, now at Seaworld.
“Instead of resembling a large large white shark, it was actually like a huge lemon straw, with a thinner, stretched body. This shape is more logical in moving efficiently through the water.”
Megalodon is one of the most captivating puzzles in the fossil registry. He lived from all over 23 million To 3.6 million Years ago, during this period it occupied a major location at the top of the dining network, before Be paid to extinction.
We know it was huge, compared to modern sharks, but learn more about its shape is very difficult. This is because, just like sharks today, the skeleton of the cartilage of cartilage was mostly.
Its teeth and vertebrae are only preserved as a hoof at the sea floor, indicating a shark monster that could range from 11 meters to more than 40 meters (36 to 131 feet).
Most estimates settle between about 13 to 18 meters, with white shark (Carcharodon Carchaias) As a basis for its model, using one of the most complete Megalodon fossils: our almost the full backbone near Belgium is 11 meters long.
White shark is a real power, one of the greatest predators in the ocean, so it is easy to know why scientists turned to me to understand megalodon. Not all sharks are built both.
Instead of examining Megalodon in the context of a handful of species, Shaimada and his colleagues compared it against a huge catalog of 145 species and 20 species of extinct shark.
White shark has a more large body. (Andrew Thirloel/Moment/Getti Pictures)
In particular, they were looking to calculate the length of the body no It is represented by the fossilized spine. That is, the head and tail of the shark.
Their new approach found that if the Megalodon body plan is consistent with most other sharks, it has developed a very elegant development, the extinct predator head may represent 16.6 and 32.6 percent of the total body length, respectively, with an elegant body, the least to lemon sharks (Negrion Brevirostris) From the white shark.
This means that for the Belgian individual, it was measures the head of 1.8 meters and the tail is 3.6 meters, which makes this Megalodon specific a total of 16.4 meters.
Although the Belgian spinal column gives scientists a group of bones related to their work with them, they are not the only vertebral fossil scientists that huge paragraphs found; Nor are the largest. The largest paragraphs in the assembly are 15.5 cm (6.5 inches).
Other paragraphs existed near Denmark have been reported much larger, up to 23 cm. Assuming that this represents the largest possible volume that the Megalodon paragraph can reach, the researchers calculated the new upper sized shark.
“24.3 meters is currently the largest reasonable grade possible for O. Megalodon This can be justified based on the current science and fossil record. ” Shimada says.
This length is similar to two School busesFrom one side, much larger than most sharks that swim in the oceans today, although sharks are nourishing filters (Rhincodon TypusIt can reach lengths 20 meters or soAnd actual whales can be much larger.
Lemon shark, elegant and longer, can be much closer to the shape of Megalodon. (Anita Blaker/MOMENT/Getty Images)
The interesting thing in all these large marine animals is that their bodies, too, are long and elegant. The shortest shape and inventory of white shark are designed for short bleaks of speed; Elegant elegant lemon sharks, whale sharks and whales are better for more energy -saving swimming, and minimal clouds.
It was possible for a longer, more elegant and more elegant hydrodine body to allow much greater white shark, which is less than 6 meters, limited due to the energy requirements in its style of swimming and hunting.
With a length of 23.4 meters, Megalodon could wander around the oceans at a speed of about 2.1 to 3.5 km (1.3 to 2.2 miles per hour, using only fast shroups when necessary.
“This research does not improve our understanding of what Megalodon seemed only, but it also provides a framework to study how the size affects movement in marine animals.” Sterin says.
“GIGANTISM is not only about an increase – but rather the development of the appropriate body to survive this range. Megalodon may be one of the most extreme examples of it.”
The research has been published in Palaeontologia Electronica.
