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.
