Fossilized teeth show signs of shark damage to shark

Fossils have a way to amaze everyone, regardless of their profession or species discovered but … [+] There is something about Megalodo who captures the imagination like no one else.

De Agostini through getty images

Fossilized shark teeth are some of the most abundant remnants of prehistoric oceans, providing scientists with essential knowledge of the lives of long -lasting species. While fossils have a way to amaze the imagination – causing wonder in people from all walks of life, no matter the species discovered – there is something about a megalodon to discover that it catches our attention like no one else.

Scientifically known as Otodus megalodonThe Neogene Age shark is estimated to have reached 50 to 65 meters long (15 to 20 meters) and once belonged to a shark origin that evolved during the Cenozoic era, becoming increasingly specialized for preding and cleaning marine mammals. His reputation as a ruthless roof predator is well placed; The fossilized whale bones carry deep marks of megalodon teeth, providing clear evidence of their nutrition habits, strengthening the idea that the megalodon landed at the top of the marine food chain. Chemical tests of megalodon teeth, examining nitrogen and zinc isotopes, further confirm its status as a roof predator.

Most of what we know about this roof predator comes from his teeth – some who measure over seven inches long! Recently, a handful have been found holding toothed gouges … signs that could only have been made from the teeth of another megalodon, suggesting interactions that go beyond simple nutrition. See, most shark bite fossils attempt to rob sermon or cleaning, where teeth left their marks on bones and other strong tissues. Finding teeth megalodon with special curse gouges from another megalodon bite is extremely rare. Signs match a trace fossil type known as Knethichnus parallelumA pattern of parallel grooves made when the toothed shark teeth chopped across a surface.

These megalodon teeth wounds suggest that in certain cases, these massive sharks were biting each other. The big question is: Why?

The bite numbers themselves provide valuable data regarding megalodon nutrition strategy. The presence of … [+] The parallel gouges suggests that the predator did not bitten them simply, but grabbed his teeth across the surface of the other tooth, showing a more aggressive behavior of nutrition. The exact order of the gouge, along with their deep penetration, suggests that the offensive megalodon was not merely cleaner, but actively engaged in a predatory meeting. While it is difficult to determine whether these bite signs are the result of competition for food, territorial disputes or an aggressive nutrition strategy, evidence tells of the idea that megalodons, as modern sharks, were not higher engaging in fighting with their kind, perhaps over the territory or resources.

PDSH/Picture Alliance through Getty Images

One option is that these bites were the result of nutrition accidents. Megalodon is likely to feed on tremendous strength, using his powerful jaws to shear through the bone and his thick hunting meat. If many megalodons were cleaning the same corpse, it is possible that they occasionally fall into each other’s teeth incorrectly. This type of accidental contact is seen in modern sharks, especially around the corpses of whales where many individuals are gathered to feed. The same scenario could have played in prehistoric oceans, with large megalodons competing for the same food sources.

Another hypothesis that scientists of this documented finding, Dr. Stephen James Godfrey and Dr. Victor Perez, is that some of these bites may have been the result of intraspecies aggression. Many modern sharks exhibit aggressive behavior towards each other, often in the form of predominance or territorial disputes. Male sharks are also known to bite women during mating, leaving distinctive wounds. While it is difficult to prove that megalodon engaged in similar behavior, the presence of bite signs in their teeth raises the possibility that these massive sharks can clash from time to time – whether in competition or as part of reproductive interactions.

The fossil record contains only a few examples of these self-caught megalodon teeth, stressing how rare this phenomenon is. Among the prominent specimens, a megalodon tooth from the North Carolina Nutrien mine shows deep signs of serrasing running diagonally across the roots, evidence of a strong bite from another megalodon. Other examples, collected from river beds and fossil sites in South Carolina and Maryland, exhibit similar signs, though the exact reasons for these bites remain a mystery. Because the correct positioning of these teeth in the megalodon mouth is unknown, the evaluation of the size of bitten and bitten individuals is difficult. However, body length approximations based on tooth measurements suggest that these sharks ranged from about 40 to 65 meters (12 to 19.5 meters) in length.

Whether these signs resulted from rage food, accidental clashes or more complex social behaviors, they offer a new intriguing perspective on the interactions of these ancient giants. They also remind us that even the most scary predators may not always have the upper hand in their world.

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