The megalodon vertebral column from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences is therefore a one-of-a-kind fossil.” From single vertebra to whole body mass “However, their skeletons are made of cartilage, so they rarely fossilize. “Shark teeth are common fossils because of their hard composition which allows them to remain well preserved,” says first author Jack Cooper, PhD student at Swansea University. ![]() Against all odds, a sizeable portion of its vertebral column was left behind in the fossil record after the creature died in the Miocene oceans of Belgium at the age of 46 about 18 million years ago. The research was only possible thanks to the 3D modelling of one individual megalodon ( Otodus megalodon) which was discovered in the 1860s. These are the findings of an international study carried out in collaboration with the University of Zurich. Well-preserved spine enables reconstruction An ability to eat large apex predators of comparable size millions of years ago places megalodon at a higher trophic level than modern top predators. This is notably the size of modern killer whales, today’s top ocean predator. These results suggest that the megalodon could travel long distances and was capable of eating whole prey of up to 8 meters long. It was estimated that it could swim at around 1.4 meters per second, require over 98,000 kilocalories every day and have stomach volume of almost 10,000 liters. The reconstructed megadolon ( Otodus megalodon) was 16 meters long and weighed over 61 tons. Their results suggest that the megalodon could fully consume prey the size of today’s killer whales and then roam the seas without more food for two months. ![]() ![]() International researchers in collaboration with UZH used an exceptionally preserved specimen to create a 3D computer model of its full body. However, there is little fossil evidence of its whole body. Megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived, is famous for its huge, human-hand-sized teeth.
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