TERRIFYING prehistoric megalodon sharks may have been even bigger than previously thought.
Scientists have revealed what they think are the true measurements of the ancient creatures with teeth the size of hands and fins the size of humans.
Megalodon sharks are thought to have ruled the ocean millions of years ago.
Fans of the 2018 Jason Statham film ‘The Meg’ should know the gigantic predator well.
Uk researchers from the University of Bristol and Swansea University looked at rare fossils of megalodon teeth and used mathematical calculations to work out their full size.
They think the creature would have grown up to 59 feet (18 metres) in length.
That would make it around four times the size of an average great white shark.
The longest ever great white caught on camera was 20 foot (7 metres) but they are usually around 15 foot (5 metres).
Megalodons are also thought to have weighed a whopping 48 tonnes.
Their teeth where the size of human hands and gave them a crushing bite force of 10 tonnes.
That’s enough to bite you in half.
Its fin is said to have been around the size of a human adult, standing at 5.3 foot (1.62 metres) tall.
The researchers also estimated tail size at 12.6 foot (3.85 metres).
Megalodon sharks are thought to have lived from around 23 million to three million years ago.
It’s thought they would have eaten whales but could have probably preyed on any creature they wanted.
The University of Bristol’s Jack Cooper led the study.
He told CNN: “There have been some fossils found with large serrated bite marks on them that would incriminate megalodon as the attacker.”
The study has been published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Here's what you need to know...
Every year, around 70 shark attacks are reported worldwide – and only a fraction of these are fatal.
Given that there are more than 480 different species, this is a relatively small number.
Only three sharks are considered to carry out unprovoked attacks on humans: the great white, tiger and bull.
When a human touches or aggravates a shark before the creature retaliates, it is known as a “provoked attack”.
There are three different types of unprovoked attacks…
Hit-and-run: This is the term used to describe the most common type of shark attack, which thankfully doesn’t tend to lead to fatal injuries.
In this instance, the shark will bite its victim and leave, usually because the creature has mistaken the swimmer for its natural prey.
Sneak: This attack is often fatal, but it is extraordinarily rare.
In these cases, the creature will wound and bite an unsuspecting victim with the intention of consuming them.
Bump-and-bite: This attack is typical to the great white, where the shark will circle its victim before biting and returning for more.
In other archaeology news, the T-rex may have weighed half of previous estimates.
An interactive map can show you where your home was on Earth 750 million years ago.
And, a huge fortress dating back to the 12th-century BC has been unearthed in Israel and experts are linking it to a structure described in the Bible.
Are you a shark fan? Let us know in the comments…
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