That was just the first thought on the size of Megalodon, though.
Based on the jaw reconstruction, Megalodon was estimated to be 30 metres (98 feet) long. This is now believed to be incorrect. Like the blue shark, it also had extra-long pectoral fins to support its weight and size. Most reconstructions show megalodon looking like an enormous great white shark. At the Smithsonian On Display. megalodon size Studies estimate that the body mass of adult megalodons (Carcharocles megalodon) ranged from roughly 30,000 kg (about 66,000 pounds) to more than 65,000 kg (about 143,000 pounds), adult females being larger (in both length and mass) than adult males.In contrast, most white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) weigh between 680 and 1,800 kg (1,500 and 4,000 pounds). O. megalodon likely had a much shorter nose, or rostrum, when compared with the great white, with a flatter, almost squashed jaw. The jaw measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall; The Megalodon shark died out 1.5million years ago and was 16metres long; It makes the Great White shark in Jaws look like a goldfish. It is likely that the giant megalodon was unable to sustain its massive body size due to these changes and the loss of prey, and eventually went extinct. In the Sant Ocean Hall, a gaping megalodon jaw filled with teeth is a favorite place for museum-goers to snap a group photo or selfie.
A 52-foot, life-size model of a Carcharocles megalodon shark is now on display in the National Museum of Natural History's newly opened dining facilities.
In 1909, Bashford Dean made the first attempt to reconstruct the Megalodon's jaw, in order to get a true estimation of size.