Researchers from a U.S. university reported that the ancient giant shark Megalodon likely swam no faster than 1.9 kilometers per hour. This finding, highlighted by a major news outlet, challenges earlier speed estimates and adds nuance to how the predator moved through ancient seas.
Megalodon, a colossal shark that could reach about 15 meters in length and weigh more than 35 tons, stands among the largest marine predators ever known. It inhabited oceans roughly between 15 million and 3.6 million years ago. While its massive silhouette remains a topic of curiosity, its skeletal remains did not survive the ages; scientists mainly examine its teeth to infer its appearance and feeding habits. The teeth suggest a formidable, broad-toothed predator that was likely a larger cousin of today’s great white shark.
The recent study drew on the analysis of fossil scales preserved in rock formations in Japan. The evidence indicates that Megalodon had a body built more for stability than for extreme speed, which helps explain the revised lower speed estimate.
Earlier researchers proposed a maximum speed around 5.6 kilometers per hour, but new measurements place the limit much closer to 1.9 km/h. By contrast, elite human swimmers reach much higher sustained speeds; for example, Olympic champions can push past 9.6 kilometers per hour in short bursts. This comparison helps readers gauge just how slowly Megalodon moved relative to modern fast swimmers.
Isotopic analyses of Megalodon teeth have also suggested that the species may have possessed a form of warm bloodedness, a trait that is rare among sharks and has implications for metabolism and behavior. Taken together, these findings paint a picture of a massive, powerful apex predator whose life in the ancient oceans was shaped more by endurance and ecological dominance than by rapid bursts of speed. Attribution: research compiled from DePaul University findings and subsequent paleontological reviews.