Over time, the development of scientific methods led to better ways of determining the size of extinct animals based on fossil evidence and jaw reconstruction. 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. In 1909, Bashford Dean made the first attempt to reconstruct the Megalodon's jaw, in order to get a true estimation of size. Compare that to the Great White Shark that maxes out at about 21 feet and 3 1/2 tons. Most current, scientifically accepted estimates for the Megalodon's maximum size fall into the 60-70 foot range, with a weight of 50-70 tons. This leaves teeth as the only common fossils from which scientists can compute the size for this massive shark. One of the issues in estimating it's true size is that the skeletons of sharks are made out of cartilage which does not easily fossilize. Over the years the size estimations of the Megalodon shark have changed, as the science surrounding it's evolution has progressed. The sperm whale is a little bit longer, but also lighter. But if you (or your preschooler) are fascinated with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, an awful lot of fun.The Megalodon was the largest known predator in the history of the Earth, at least based on its weight. A few days after reading this book, I spotted a biplane through the moon roof of my car, and for a moment, imagined it was a Quetzalcoatlus, a flying pterosaur with a wingspan of some 35 feet. We have a private airport in our town, which means we often see small planes flying just overhead.
Dragonflies have no business being larger than my cat.Īnd once you start thinking about the actual sizes of these things, it’s hard to stop.
Sure, the view from within a Giganotosaurus mouth is striking, but it’s the pictures of the creepy crawlies that get to me the most. As I type this, I am cringing away from a millipede larger than my computer. It’s just that the effect of seeing these creatures, or in most cases, bits of these creatures, at actual size is so startling. It’s not that the illustrations are so terribly life-like. Reading this book to my daughter, I found myself placing my hands on the page very carefully, lest I snag my finger on a Baryonyx claw or accidentally touch the Very Large Cockroach.
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