How big was the Megalodon?
The prehistoric Megalodon was a massive shark that grew up to 60 feet long—the length of two school buses.
Megalodon was the largest shark in history, dwarfing the modern Great White. Its massive jaws could swallow two adults side-by-side, and its teeth reached over 7 inches in length. Because shark skeletons are made of cartilage, scientists primarily study their fossilized teeth to understand these apex predators. They dominated the oceans for 20 million years before going extinct about 3.6 million years ago.
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The Otodus megalodon was a prehistoric giant that ruled the oceans during the Miocene and Pliocene epochs. Scientific estimates of its size are primarily derived from fossilized teeth, some of which exceed 7 inches (18 centimeters) in length. By comparing these teeth to those of modern Great White sharks, researchers at institutions like the University of Bristol have estimated that adult Megalodons averaged 50 to 60 feet (15 to 18 meters) in length.The bite force of a Megalodon is estimated to have been between 108,000 and 182,000 Newtons. This is significantly stronger than the 18,000 Newtons produced by a Great White shark or the 13,000 Newtons of a Tyrannosaurus rex. Their diet consisted of large marine mammals, including small-to-medium-sized whales, which they could disable by crushing their ribcages with a single bite.Megalodons went extinct approximately 3.6 million years ago during a period of global cooling. As ocean temperatures dropped and sea levels fell, the shark's preferred nursery habitats disappeared. Additionally, the rise of new competitors like the modern Great White and early killer whales likely contributed to their decline by outcompeting them for dwindling food sources.
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FP-0004256 · Feb 18, 2026