- A giant megalodon fossil, lost since the 1980s, has been rediscovered, leading to new information about the ancient shark's size and lifestyle.
- The vertebral bone, originally unearthed in Denmark in the late 1970s, was misplaced from the Geological Museum of Copenhagen before being found in fossil-filled boxes in the late 2010s.
- New analysis of the vertebrae confirmed that Otodus megalodon could reach a maximum length of 24.3 metres (approximately 79 feet) and weigh around 94 tonnes, making it the largest fish vertebrae ever recorded.
- Researchers, led by Kenshu Shimada, determined the individual megalodon was at least 64 years old at its death by analysing growth bands in the vertebrae, similar to tree rings.
- The study also found fragmentary remains of a basking shark at the same fossil site, suggesting it was stomach contents and providing the first fossil record evidence of megalodon preying on basking sharks.
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