The true scale of megalodon shark revealed by researchers

[FfFfFfFF 58,062]

The enormous size of a prehistoric mega-shark made famous in Hollywood films has been revealed for the first time in its entirety by a UK study.

Previously only the length of the Otodus megalodon had been estimated, but a team from the University of Bristol and Swansea University has determined the size of the rest of its body, including fins as large as an adult human.

The great white shark – depicted in the 1975 movie hit Jaws – is a distant descendant of the megalodon and often measures more than 6 metres in length.

The results suggest a 16-metre megalodon is likely to have had a head about 4.65 metres long, a dorsal fin 1.62 metres tall and a tail 3.85 metres long.

This means an adult human could stand on the back of the shark and be about the same height as the dorsal fin.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/03/researchers-reveal-true-scale-of-megalodon-shark-for-first-time

[berlinforme 5,385]

And this is why I don't like swimming in open water. 

[lavenderblondee 3,695]

Sharks fascinate the f out of me but this is absolutely terrifying in every way shape and form 

[homomo 23,883]

To the people scared of open water, most sharks prefer other sea animals/fish over humans. Mark Rober did an excellent video on fish blood vs. human blood when put in front of sharks.

 

[BlondeQueenOfGGD 25,454]

I wish they didn’t go extinct  

[vyniildisk 12,689]

Sharks are super cute, Hollywood gives them bad reputation, but they are sweeties just like us

[LilMonst3r 5,681]

51 minutes ago, Justin Drew Bieber said:

I wish they didn’t go extinct  

I think those wont be picky, they see a human they're eating it. 

[imnotyourbabe10 6,120]

OP, thanks for all the cool nature threads you post! The world around us is so fascinating and yet we often get caught in our daily lives without thinking about it.

[BlondeQueenOfGGD 25,454]

33 minutes ago, myluis617 said:

I think those wont be picky, they see a human they're eating it. 

I’ve always thought that we’d be too small for them to want to eat us, and that they’d conserve their energy for attacking whales etc

[lavenderblondee 3,695]

2 hours ago, homomo said:

To the people scared of open water, most sharks prefer other sea animals/fish over humans. Mark Rober did an excellent video on fish blood vs. human blood when put in front of sharks.

 

Videos like this are why I love Shark Week. The whole purpose of Shark Week is to better understand sharks and protect them. There is definitely a stigma around sharks that they're all dangerous/want to eat you, when that's actually far from the truth.