Megalodon fossils rediscovered in Danish museum

Researchers have rediscovered giant vertebrae belonging to the prehistoric shark species Otodus megalodon, which were thought to have been destroyed decades ago. The specimens, originating from the Gram Formation in Denmark, were presumed lost during the 1989 relocation of the Geological Museum of Copenhagen to the Museum of Southern Jutland.

Found unrecognized on a museum shelf, the vertebrae measure approximately 23 centimeters in diameter, making them some of the largest recorded examples of the species. The new analysis, published in Palaeontologia Electronicae, supports previous estimates that these sharks could exceed 24 meters in length and live for nearly a century.

Additionally, the study suggests that newborn megalodons were approximately 3.6 meters long, a size larger than many modern shark species. Because megalodon skeletons were primarily cartilaginous, these fossilized vertebrae provide more accurate data regarding the animal's scale than isolated teeth typically found in excavations.