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Ancient megalodon shark could eat a whale in just a few bites

The first 3D reconstruction of a huge, ancient shark called megalodon suggests it was even bigger than previously thought

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre

17 August 2022

Megalodon

Megalodon was large enough to eat whales with ease

J. J. Giraldo

Megalodon, an ancient shark, had such a huge appetite that it could have swallowed an 8-metre-long whale in just a few bites, according to the first 3D reconstruction of the predator. This new description upgrades its already gigantic size to at least 16 metres long and a weight of 61.5 tonnes.

Previous calculations of megalodon’s size suggested it was around 14 metres long and weighed 48 tonnes, but at The Royal Veterinary College in the UK was inspired to have a more detailed look…

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