UV teams discovers dietary similarities between the megalodon and the great white shark
A study led by a UV research group shows that the extinct megalodon and the white shark may have competed for trophic resources. The scientific team found similarities in the diet of both predators by analysing dental microwear. The research has been published in the Spanish Journal of Palaeontology.
A research group from the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology of the Universitat de València, led by María Victoria Paredes-Aliaga and José L. Herraiz, has carried out a study on the trophic interactions between the extinct giant megalodon (Otodus megalodon) and the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).
Published in the journal of the Spanish Society of Palaeontology, Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, the research provides new data on the possible competence for trophic resources between the two species in the past. The study focuses on the dental microwear analysis: the microscopic marks left on the surface of teeth during food intake. This tools allows to explore the physical and mechanical properties of ingested prey. The wear marks on the surface of the teeth of the megalodon and the great white shark were compared. The fossil teeth analysed, which are kept in the Palaeontological Museum of Elche (MUPE), come from Neogene sites (23,3-2,58 million years) in Alicante.
Results show that, although the megalodon showed a slight preference for less abrasive diets compared to the white shark, no significant differences were found in the dental microwear patterns of both species. The research team concluded that the megalodon and the great white shark may have had similar diets, at least in the Mediterranean Basin during the Neogene.
The study provides further evidence to the debate on the extinction of the megalodon, which has been attributed to climate changes as well as the emergence of new competitors, notably the great white shark. Although the results of the study suggest a possible direct competence between the two sharks, Paredes-Aliaga and Herraiz stress the need for future studies that determine the size of the specimens and include data from other geographical regions for a more complete understanding.
Reference:
Analysing trophic competition in -Otodus megalodon and Carcharodon carcharias through 2D-SEM dental microwear. María Victoria Paredes-Aliaga, José Luis Herraiz. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.28830
