Researchers say Megalodons were large enough to take on killer whales

By Danny Halpin via SWNS

The fearsome extinct Megalodon shark could eat prey the size of a killer whale in just a few bites, scientists believe.

Researchers creating a 3D model of a megalodon discovered in the 1860s found it had a stomach volume of almost 10,000 liters, swam at 1.4 meters per second and would have been capable of eating today’s top ocean predators.

It would have been 16 meters long, weighed over 55,000 kilograms and had to consume over 98,000 kcals a day.

In comparison, modern killer whales are around eight meters long and weigh about 10,000 kilograms. Fossilized whales of this size have been found with megalodon bite marks.

Feeding on large animals like this meant the shark may have been able to swim thousands of miles without eating again for two months.

Professor Catalina Pimiento of the University of Zurich and senior author of the study said: “These results suggest that this giant shark was a trans-oceanic super-apex predator.

“The extinction of this iconic giant shark likely impacted global nutrient transport and released large cetaceans from a strong predatory pressure.”

These findings, published in the journal Science Advances, were the result of a 3D model made from a fossilised spine of a megalodon that was found near Belgium and died 18 million years ago at the age of 46.

Researchers from Switzerland, the UK, the US, Australia and South Africa, collaborating with the University of Zurich, scanned the fossilized bones and reconstructed a digital skeleton model.

They then attached a 3D scan of its teeth which was taken from a set in the United States and used a further scan of a South African great white shark to simulate the creature’s flesh.

First author Jack Cooper, a Ph.D. student at Swansea University, said: “Shark teeth are common fossils because of their hard composition which allows them to remain well preserved.

“However, their skeletons are made of cartilage, so they rarely fossilize. The megalodon vertebral column from the Royal Belgian Insititute of Natural Sciences is, therefore, a one-of-a-kind of fossil."

Co-author Professor John Hutchinson of the Royal Veterinary College, added “Weight is one of the most important traits of any animal.

“For extinct animals, we can estimate the body mass with modern 3D digital modeling methods and then establish the relationship between mass and other biological properties such as speed and energy usage.”

The megalodon, meaning big-tooth, lived between 15.9 and 2.6 million years ago and is considered to be one of the largest predators in the oceans growing up to a staggering 19 meters or 65 feet long.

The study authors say this model can now be used as a basis for future reconstructions and research, adding that it represents a leap in our understanding of this ancient predator and the ecological functions that such animals have in marine ecosystems, as well as the consequence of their extinction.