The extinct shark Otodus megalodon was a transoceanic super-predator: Inferences from 3D modelling

• Main Authors: Cooper, Jack, Hutchinson, John, Bernvi, David, Cliff, Geremy, Wilson, Rory, Dicken, Matt, Menzel, Jan, Wroe, Stephen, Pirlo, Jeanette, Pimiento, Catalina
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2022
• Subjects: Killer Whale; Killer whale
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7h44j0zvw

Although shark teeth are abundant in the fossil record, their bodies are rarely preserved. Thus, our understanding of the anatomy of the extinct Otodus megalodon remains rudimentary. We used an exceptionally preserved fossil to create the first 3D model of the body of this giant shark and used it to infer its movement and feeding ecology. We estimate that an adult O. megalodon could cruise at faster absolute speeds than any shark species today, and fully consume prey the size of modern apex predators (e.g., the killer whale). A dietary preference for large prey potentially enabled O. megalodon to minimize competition and provided a constant source of energy to fuel prolonged migrations without further feeding. When taken together, our results suggest that O. megalodon played a singular ecological role as a transoceanic super-predator. As such, its extinction likely had large impacts on global nutrient transfer and trophic food webs. Funding provided by: Swiss National Science Foundation Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001711 Award Number: 185798 Funding provided by: European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme* Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: 663830 Funding provided by: Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100005156 Award Number: Funding provided by: ERC Horizon 2020* Crossref Funder Registry ID: Award Number: 695517 Funding provided by: Fisheries Society of the British Isles Crossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000616 Award Number: