With a size that could reach in excess of 50 feet and estimates for its weight stretching beyond 100,000 pounds, the megalodon was significantly larger than any other shark species on record.

The highest bite force of living shark species today has been measured at 18,216 newtons. A recent 3-D computer analysis placed the megalodon’s bite force at up to 182,201 newtons! That’s more than five times the bite force estimates for a Tyrannosaurus Rex! 

It was recently found the Megalodon was an endothermic animal (warm-blooded) instead of mesothermic, meaning they store head generated in their muscles. Using meg tooth data, researchers were able to conclude the large shark was endothermic and had benefited from its thermoregulation ability. This would allow the shark to move faster and spread out across the world, but the amount of energy it cost to keep it up would make it vulnerable to ecological pressures.