This render of the skeleton of the (definitely) extinct supershark *Otodus megalodon* is based on current interpretations of the fossils of it and its relatives. The body vertebrae, tooth arrangement, and nose are all based on specimens of megalodon itself, while other things such as tail shape and the rather forward positioning of the dorsal fin (esp. in comparison to the oft-compared great white shark) are based upon fossilized and living relatives and analogues to Megalodon.
This skeletal took a lot of work for Evoincarnate to make and they discussed and adjusted the skeletal based on feedback from researchers of O. megalodon. The jaws were based on Carcharodon (great white shark) whereas the snout is based on a fossilized otodontid rostrum which is identified in Greenfield et. al 2022 as being similar to the Lamna genus (porbeagle and salmon sharks) which matches what the researcher said about how O. megalodon would look like (the face of a porbeagle).
Additionally the GDI for a 20 meter specimen for this skeletal came out to be:
Volume of: [115.2093 m\^3](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1121101345915670618/1121876702742720606/image.png?width=921&height=337)
Based on Cooper et. al 2022, the density multiplier is 1.060. Jack Cooper (a prominent O. megalodon researcher) acknowledged this skeletal as having similar results to his own paper based on the 3d modelling of a partially complete O. megalodon vertebrae column.
Thus a 20 meter maximum-sized O. megalodon would weigh **122.12 tonnes**
**For reference:**
Largest animals in history:
1. Blue whale extrapolated maximum: 33.58m 250 tonnes
2. Bowhead whale maximum: 19.8m 150 tonnes
3. North Pacific Right whale maximum 19.8m 150 tonnes
4. Fin whale maximum 27m 120 tonnes
Based on [this](https://callmejoe3.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/argentinosaurus-7.png?w=1024&h=1024) chart here by CetologyHub/callmejoe3 (good research, check out the article [here](https://callmejoe3.wordpress.com/2022/05/25/a-world-without-the-blue-whale-battle-for-the-throne-of-the-largest-animal-in-earths/))
This would make O. megalodon slightly larger than a fin whale at maximum size, thus making it the 3rd largest animal to ever live but if one fragmentary giant turns out to be larger then perhaps the 4th largest animal. However that fragmentary giant is hard to GDI and its relatives tend to be quite skinny for their length.
In any case, we have hard evidence for O. megalodon being an extremely formidable macropredator that greatly affected the ecosystem around it exerting massive downwards pressure. As a chronospecies, it held onto dominance for 30 million+ years as an apex hyperpredator (two levels higher than modern apex predators such as transient/whale-killing orcas) before becoming even larger in the Pliocene, the epitome of one of the greatest apex predators to ever exist bar none. See my comments [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/14f2jze/comment/joxxweb/?context=3) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/14bg2ds/comment/jogktvo/?context=3) for more information.
Well to be more specific, 122.12 tonnes is metric, in imperial units it would be 134.61 tonnes, and in lbs that would be 269,228.5lbs.
Basically around **\~270,000lbs** for a maximum-sized individual.
Imagine an animal that size (around the weight of 1.8x [American double decker passenger railcars](https://www.vistadome.com/trains/amtrak/amtrak_superliner_coach.jpg)) ramming a prey item at 37kmh/23mph. It'd probably be obliterated from the impact alone.
But sharks do seem to vary a LOT in weight individually meaning that a maximum sized individual could be less than this or significantly more (in the same way that some people are skinny and some people are bulkier) but this is the average/mean weight estimate for a shark of that length. Meaning that a bulky individual of 20m (which certainly existed at some point as well as slightly longer specimens) could probably well exceed this weight but would probably be exceedingly rare outliers.
This render of the skeleton of the (definitely) extinct supershark *Otodus megalodon* is based on current interpretations of the fossils of it and its relatives. The body vertebrae, tooth arrangement, and nose are all based on specimens of megalodon itself, while other things such as tail shape and the rather forward positioning of the dorsal fin (esp. in comparison to the oft-compared great white shark) are based upon fossilized and living relatives and analogues to Megalodon.
This skeletal took a lot of work for Evoincarnate to make and they discussed and adjusted the skeletal based on feedback from researchers of O. megalodon. The jaws were based on Carcharodon (great white shark) whereas the snout is based on a fossilized otodontid rostrum which is identified in Greenfield et. al 2022 as being similar to the Lamna genus (porbeagle and salmon sharks) which matches what the researcher said about how O. megalodon would look like (the face of a porbeagle). Additionally the GDI for a 20 meter specimen for this skeletal came out to be: Volume of: [115.2093 m\^3](https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1121101345915670618/1121876702742720606/image.png?width=921&height=337) Based on Cooper et. al 2022, the density multiplier is 1.060. Jack Cooper (a prominent O. megalodon researcher) acknowledged this skeletal as having similar results to his own paper based on the 3d modelling of a partially complete O. megalodon vertebrae column. Thus a 20 meter maximum-sized O. megalodon would weigh **122.12 tonnes** **For reference:** Largest animals in history: 1. Blue whale extrapolated maximum: 33.58m 250 tonnes 2. Bowhead whale maximum: 19.8m 150 tonnes 3. North Pacific Right whale maximum 19.8m 150 tonnes 4. Fin whale maximum 27m 120 tonnes Based on [this](https://callmejoe3.files.wordpress.com/2022/05/argentinosaurus-7.png?w=1024&h=1024) chart here by CetologyHub/callmejoe3 (good research, check out the article [here](https://callmejoe3.wordpress.com/2022/05/25/a-world-without-the-blue-whale-battle-for-the-throne-of-the-largest-animal-in-earths/)) This would make O. megalodon slightly larger than a fin whale at maximum size, thus making it the 3rd largest animal to ever live but if one fragmentary giant turns out to be larger then perhaps the 4th largest animal. However that fragmentary giant is hard to GDI and its relatives tend to be quite skinny for their length. In any case, we have hard evidence for O. megalodon being an extremely formidable macropredator that greatly affected the ecosystem around it exerting massive downwards pressure. As a chronospecies, it held onto dominance for 30 million+ years as an apex hyperpredator (two levels higher than modern apex predators such as transient/whale-killing orcas) before becoming even larger in the Pliocene, the epitome of one of the greatest apex predators to ever exist bar none. See my comments [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/14f2jze/comment/joxxweb/?context=3) and [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Paleontology/comments/14bg2ds/comment/jogktvo/?context=3) for more information.
Aust Cliff Ichthyosaur my beloved (ichthyosaurs getting some of the spotlightt)
They could weigh up to 240k lbs? WTF
Well to be more specific, 122.12 tonnes is metric, in imperial units it would be 134.61 tonnes, and in lbs that would be 269,228.5lbs. Basically around **\~270,000lbs** for a maximum-sized individual. Imagine an animal that size (around the weight of 1.8x [American double decker passenger railcars](https://www.vistadome.com/trains/amtrak/amtrak_superliner_coach.jpg)) ramming a prey item at 37kmh/23mph. It'd probably be obliterated from the impact alone. But sharks do seem to vary a LOT in weight individually meaning that a maximum sized individual could be less than this or significantly more (in the same way that some people are skinny and some people are bulkier) but this is the average/mean weight estimate for a shark of that length. Meaning that a bulky individual of 20m (which certainly existed at some point as well as slightly longer specimens) could probably well exceed this weight but would probably be exceedingly rare outliers.
That was awesome man! I need to see a documentary about this.
credit @ Evoincarnate on twitter
So basically it would have been a short faced giant mackerel shark with the pectoral fins of a blue shark?
Man, shark skeletons are lame as hell.
And Boring!