Megalodon size estimated at 24 meters after fossil rediscovery

The rediscovery of long-lost fossilized vertebrae has allowed scientists to estimate that the prehistoric shark Otodus megalodon could have reached lengths of approximately 24.3 meters. The fragments, which were excavated in 1978 from the Gram Formation in Denmark, were previously considered lost or severely damaged following a collection transfer at the Geological Museum of Copenhagen in 1989.

Part of the material was identified within the collection of the Natural History Museum of Denmark in 2017 and is cataloged as NHMD 157890. A study published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica in 2026 details how the largest preserved vertebra, measuring approximately 23 centimeters in diameter, provided the necessary data to confirm these massive dimensions. Paleobiologist Kenshu Shimada and colleagues noted that this represents the largest known vertebra of Otodus megalodon and potentially the largest recorded for any non-tetrapod vertebrate.