{"id":486614,"date":"2022-08-21T16:30:01","date_gmt":"2022-08-21T13:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/ancient-megalodon-super-predators-could-swallow-a-great-white-shark-whole-new-model-reveals\/"},"modified":"2022-08-21T16:30:01","modified_gmt":"2022-08-21T13:30:01","slug":"ancient-megalodon-super-predators-could-swallow-a-great-white-shark-whole-new-model-reveals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ancient-megalodon-super-predators-could-swallow-a-great-white-shark-whole-new-model-reveals\/","title":{"rendered":"#Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2624ed5b5ad\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2624ed5b5ad\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/ancient-megalodon-super-predators-could-swallow-a-great-white-shark-whole-new-model-reveals\/#%E2%80%9CAncient_megalodon_super-predators_could_swallow_a_great_white_shark_whole_new_model_reveals%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CAncient_megalodon_super-predators_could_swallow_a_great_white_shark_whole_new_model_reveals%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2022\/ancient-megalodon-supe.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2022\/ancient-megalodon-supe.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"The reconstructed megadolon was 16 metres long and weighed over 61 tons. Credit: J.J. Giraldo\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2022\/ancient-megalodon-supe.jpg\" alt=\"Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals\" title=\"The reconstructed megadolon was 16 metres long and weighed over 61 tons. Credit: J.J. Giraldo\" width=\"754\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                The reconstructed megadolon was 16 metres long and weighed over 61 tons. Credit: J.J. Giraldo<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In a new 3D modeling study published this week in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science<\/a> Advances, we show that the giant extinct shark, <i>Otodus megalodon<\/i>, was a true globetrotting super-predator.<\/p>\n<section class=\"article-banner first-banner ads-336x280\">\n         <!-- \/4988204\/Phys_Story_InText_Box --><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p>It was capable of covering vast distances in short order, and could eat the largest of modern living super-predators, the killer whale, in five gargantuan bites. It could have swallowed a great white shark whole.<\/p>\n<p><b>The largest shark that ever lived<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived, and it was around for a long time\u2014from around <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.7717\/peerj.6088\">23 million to 2.6 million years ago<\/a>. At one time its range was enormous: its fossilized teeth have been found on every continent except Antarctica. These teeth are not hard to recognize if you come across them, as they can be up to 18 centimeters long.<\/p>\n<p>Just why this formidable predator went extinct remains a mystery. It could have been linked to global cooling, or competition from other predators such as orcas (killer whales). This is just one of many unanswered questions. <\/p>\n<p>One thing we know for sure is that the megalodon was big\u2014but just how big has remained a point of contention among scientists, because previous estimates have been effectively based on just fragmentary remains.<\/p>\n<p>And its size really matters, because it helps us to interpret its biology\u2014the kinds of prey an animal can kill and eat, the amount of food it needs to survive and the speed at which it can <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The question of diet is particularly important as it determines an animal&#8217;s role and impact on its ecosystem. Historically, many thought megalodon took very big prey, including large whales.<\/p>\n<p>But it has <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0031018216305417\">recently been argued<\/a> that it may not have been quite the super-predator it had been cracked up to be, concluding that it concentrated on lesser prey such as seals, dolphins and small whales between around two and seven meters in length. If correct, this would have major implications for our understanding of how the marine ecosystems of the time functioned.<\/p>\n<p>Our new model now suggests it did in fact prefer to take on much larger prey.<\/p>\n<p><b>Car-crushing bite force<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve long had an interest in megalodon. I published a paper with colleagues <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1469-7998.2008.00494.x\">back in 2007<\/a> wherein we built a computer simulation to predict its bite force.<\/p>\n<p>Our estimate\u2014a car-crushing 18 metric tons\u2014was dependent on the assumed body mass of the animal, so I was delighted when colleagues from overseas asked me to help with an attempt to develop a more accurate model of the whole shark. From there, we could more reliably determine its size.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mb-4\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\">\n    <meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch\/?v=SBpIcsrof7M\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2022-08-18T09:48:46-04:00\"\/><br \/>\n        <meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SBpIcsrof7M\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/SBpIcsrof7M\/maxresdefault.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>             <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The megalodon: A tale in 3D\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SBpIcsrof7M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Previous estimates of the body mass and proportions of megalodon have largely just extrapolated on data from single fossilized vertebrae, which leaves a lot of room for error. Others were based on direct comparison with the living great white shark; however, it&#8217;s now pretty clear that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/08912963.2019.1666840\">the two weren&#8217;t closely related<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In our new study, we based our estimates on 3D modeling of the most complete specimen known, represented by a largely intact vertebral column held in a Belgian museum. We quantified its total length, weight, and the size of its gape from the complete digital model.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, we estimated the megalodon&#8217;s cruising speed, the volume of its stomach, its daily energetic demands and the rate at which it likely encountered prey.<\/p>\n<p>We concluded that this particular megalodon was around 16 meters long and weighed in at more than 61 metric tons. This is considerably larger than <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/08912963.2019.1666840\">recent estimates<\/a> of a mere 48 metric tons. <\/p>\n<p><b>A whale for breakfast<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Based on other isolated fossil vertebrae, it&#8217;s likely the largest megalodon grew to 20 meters in length. We further determined that the Belgian specimen&#8217;s maximum gape was around 1.8 meters and that its stomach could have held 9.5 cubic meters of food.<\/p>\n<p>This suggests it could have entirely consumed the largest of living killer whales (around 8 meters) in just five bites. <\/p>\n<p>Hypothetically, it could have eaten another iconic super-predator, the <i>Tyrannosaurus rex<\/i>, in just three bites. As for great white sharks, a megalodon could have swallowed a large one whole.<\/p>\n<p>Our results suggest megalodon could have comfortably cruised at over 5 kilometers per hour. This is much faster than the largest living fish, the filter-feeding whale shark, or even the great white shark, which cruises at around 3 kilometers per hour.<\/p>\n<p>This ocean-spanning super-predator could travel vast distances in short order, increasing prey encounter rates and allowing it to quickly move to take advantage of seasonal changes in prey abundance. <\/p>\n<p>Results from our analysis of energetics suggest that having eaten a big killer whale for breakfast, this megalodon could have traveled around 7,000km before needing to feed again.<\/p>\n<p>In short, our results show that megalodon really was the super-predator it&#8217;s been cracked up to be, and more.<\/p>\n<p>No creature, no matter its size, was safe from the jaws of this super shark. Its extinction likely sent tremendous cascading effects through marine environments of the time.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__explore my-4 d-print-none\">\n<p>                                            New 3D model shows: Megalodon could eat prey the size of entire killer whales\n                                        <\/p><\/div>\n<hr class=\"mb-4\"\/>\n<div class=\"article-main__more p-4\">\n                                                                                                <strong>More information:<\/strong><br \/>\n                                                Jack A. Cooper et al, The extinct shark Otodus megalodon was a transoceanic superpredator: Inferences from 3D modeling, <i>Science Advances<\/i> (2022).  <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-doi=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/sciadv.abm9424\">DOI: 10.1126\/sciadv.abm9424<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                                                                        <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\"><br \/>\n                                                        <svg>\n                                                            <use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n                                                        <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                    <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/ancient-megalodon-super-predators-could-swallow-a-great-white-shark-whole-new-model-reveals-188749\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/188749\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                 <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                 Ancient megalodon super-predators could swallow a great white shark whole, new model reveals (2022, August 21)<br \/>\n                                                 retrieved 21 August 2022<br \/>\n                                                 from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2022-08-ancient-megalodon-super-predators-swallow-great.html<\/p>\n<p>                                            This document is subject to copyright. 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Credit: J.J. Giraldo In a new 3D modeling study published this week in Science Advances, we show that the giant extinct shark, Otodus megalodon, was a true globetrotting super-predator. It&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":486615,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2022\/ancient-megalodon-supe.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-486614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=486614"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/486614\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/486615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=486614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=486614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=486614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}