Sharks: Find out the true size of prehistoric giant shark Megalodon
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Scientists have discovered the true size of the prehistoric giant shark, Megalodon.
Until now only the length of the Megalodon had been estimated from fossils of its teeth.
However, recently a team from Swansea and Bristol universities have worked together to discover just how big it was.
The scientists used mathematical methods and compared living relatives of the shark to figure out its size.
The results suggest that a 16 metre long Megalodon - nearly three times as long as a great white shark - is likely to have had a head around 4.65 metres long and a fin as large as an entire adult human.
The great white is the world's largest known predatory fish, which bites with a force of two tonnes. However, the Megalodon had a bite force of more then ten tonnes.
Mega facts about Megalodon
The prehistoric shark lived from about 23 million to three million years ago
The shark's tail could have been around 3.85 metres high
If a adult human could stand on the back of this shark, it would be about the same height as the dorsal fin
Jack Cooper, is part of the team which discovered the size of this huge creature
Jack Cooper who was part of the team said this was his "dream project".
"I have always been mad about sharks. Megalodon was actually the very animal that inspired me to pursue palaeontology in the first place at just six years old."
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