Scientists at DePaul University in Chicago (USA) have disproved a popular myth that the megalodon was a giant version of the great white shark. According to the study, published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, the extinct shark, which does not actually belong to the same genus as Carcharodon carcharias, had a slimmer body than the largest predatory shark of modern times, and was more like a mako shark.
As the authors write in their paper, several attempts have been made previously to determine the body shape of Otodus megalodon, but they were all speculative due to the lack of a complete skeleton. The estimated body length was estimated at 15 metres, but this value is based on the diameter of the vertebrae of a great white shark. In addition, the scientists found differences in previous body length estimates for the same megalodon specimen.
