Megalodon targeted prey as large as killer whales when it roamed the oceans 11 million years ago

At 52ft long and weighing a whopping 61 tons, it’s no surprise that the megalodon was one of the most ferocious predators to have ever lived on Earth.

But a new study sheds light on megalodon’s chosen prey, and suggests the ancient beast feasted on animals as large as killer whales when it roamed the oceans 11 million years ago.

After such a feed, the ancient shark could survive without any more food for two months, according to researchers from the Royal Veterinary College.

‘This giant shark was a transoceanic super-apex predator,’ said Professor Catalina Pimiento, a senior author of the study from the University of Zurich.

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

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College used advanced 3D modelling to discover the movement and feeding ecology of the biggest shark to have ever roamed the oceans – the megalodon

Until today, the only fossil evidence we have of the megalodon has been its teeth.

Previous studies have used measurements of these teeth and comparisons them with other shark species to estimate the length of the extinct shark.

However, the lack of other remains has made it difficult to understand how much the megalodon could have eaten, or how far it could swim.

In the new study, the team turned to an advanced 3D modelling technique that has previously been used to model dinosaurs.

They used this technique to scan a fossilised vertebrae found in Belgium, recreating the spinal column, and scaling it to real size.

They then used an existing 3D scan of the skull of a Great White Shark to recreate the skull, scaling it up based on scans of megalodon’s teeth.

The resulting skull was then attached to the vertebrae, producing a based model of a megalodon skeleton.

A 3D scan of the full body of a Great White Shark was used to add flesh around this skeleton, allowing the researchers to measure the megalodon’s surface area, volume and centre of mass.

From this, they could calculate its swim speed, stomach volume and daily energy requirements.

Previous studies suggest the megalodon reached lengths of at least 50 feet (15 meters) and possibly as much as 65 feet (20 meters)

Their results revealed that the reconstructed megalodon was 52ft (16 metres long) and weighed more than 61 tons.

It could swim at speeds of up to 3mph (1.4 metres per second), required more than 98,000 kilocalories every day, and had a stomach volume of almost 10,000 litres.

This means it would have been capable of eating prey up to 26ft (eight metres) long – around the size of a modern Orca.

Eating an animal this size would have allowed the megalodon to swim for two months without eating again, according to the researchers.

Professor John Hutchinson, Professor of Evolutionary Biomechanics and senior author of the study, said: ‘Computer modelling provides us with an unprecedented ability to use exceptionally well-preserved fossils to reconstruct the entire body of extinct animals, which in turn allows estimations of biological traits from the resulting geometry.

‘Models of this nature represent a leap in knowledge of extinct super predators such as megalodon and can then be used as a basis for future reconstruction and further research.’

MEGALODON EXPLAINED

Pictured: Megalodon

The megalodon, meaning big-tooth, lived between 15.9 and 2.6 million years ago.

O. megalodon is considered to be one of the largest and most powerful predators in vertebrate history and fossil remains suggest it grew up to 65ft (19 metres) long.

It’s thought the monster looked like a stockier version of today’s much feared great white shark and weighed up to 100 tons.

Megalodon is known from fossilized vertebrae and teeth, which are triangular and measure almost eight inches (20cm) in diagonal length.

Famed fossil hunter Vito ‘Megalodon’ Bertucci took almost 20 years to reconstruct a megalodon’s jaw – largest ever assembled – which measures 11ft across and is almost 9ft tall.

The Megalodon’s colossal mouth would have produced a but force of 10.8 to 18.2 tons.

The ancient shark has been described as a super predator, because it could swim at high speeds and kill a wide variety of prey such as sea turtles and whales, quickly in its strong jaws.