Scientists Model an Ancient Shark Able to Eat Whales in a Few Bites

2022-08-22

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1
  • Scientists used the ancient remains of bones and teeth to recreate a big shark that lived in the oceans millions of years ago.
  • 2
  • The creature was so huge a recent study estimated it could have eaten something the size of a killer whale in just five bites.
  • 3
  • For the recently published study, researchers used fossil evidence to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the megalodon - one of the biggest fish of all time.
  • 4
  • The study was published in Science Advances.
  • 5
  • It said megalodon was around 16 meters from nose to tail - bigger than a school bus.
  • 6
  • It is also several times the size of today's great white shark.
  • 7
  • Megalodon's large mouth meant it could feed on big creatures.
  • 8
  • Once it filled its stomach, it could travel the oceans for months at a time, the researchers suggested.
  • 9
  • The megalodon was a strong swimmer, too.
  • 10
  • Its average swimming speed was faster than sharks today and it could have traveled across several oceans with ease, scientists said.
  • 11
  • John Hutchinson, a co-writer of the study, described the megalodon as a "superpredator."
  • 12
  • He added, "There is nothing really matching it."
  • 13
  • It has been difficult for scientists to get a clear picture of the megalodon, said study co-writer Catalina Pimiento.
  • 14
  • The skeleton is made of soft cartilage that does not become a fossil very often, Pimiento said.
  • 15
  • So the scientists used the few fossils that are available, including a rare collection of back bones that has been at a museum in Belgium since the 1860s.
  • 16
  • Researchers also brought in many megalodon teeth, each as big as a closed human hand, Hutchinson said.
  • 17
  • Special images of modern great white sharks helped researchers recreate the rest of the creature.
  • 18
  • Researchers estimate that the megalodon would have weighed around 70 tons, or as much as 10 elephants.
  • 19
  • Even other high-level hunters may have been food for the megalodon, which had a mouth almost 2 meters wide, Pimiento said.
  • 20
  • Megalodons lived an estimated 23 million to 2.6 million years ago.
  • 21
  • Since megalodon fossils are rare, these kinds of models require a "leap of imagination," said Michael Gottfried who studies ancient bones at the Michigan State University.
  • 22
  • Gottfried was not involved in the study.
  • 23
  • But he said the study's findings are reasonable based on what is known about the large shark.
  • 24
  • I'm John Russell.
  • 1
  • Scientists used the ancient remains of bones and teeth to recreate a big shark that lived in the oceans millions of years ago.
  • 2
  • The creature was so huge a recent study estimated it could have eaten something the size of a killer whale in just five bites.
  • 3
  • For the recently published study, researchers used fossil evidence to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the megalodon - one of the biggest fish of all time.
  • 4
  • The study was published in Science Advances. It said megalodon was around 16 meters from nose to tail - bigger than a school bus. It is also several times the size of today's great white shark.
  • 5
  • Megalodon's large mouth meant it could feed on big creatures. Once it filled its stomach, it could travel the oceans for months at a time, the researchers suggested.
  • 6
  • The megalodon was a strong swimmer, too.
  • 7
  • Its average swimming speed was faster than sharks today and it could have traveled across several oceans with ease, scientists said.
  • 8
  • John Hutchinson, a co-writer of the study, described the megalodon as a "superpredator." He added, "There is nothing really matching it."
  • 9
  • It has been difficult for scientists to get a clear picture of the megalodon, said study co-writer Catalina Pimiento.
  • 10
  • The skeleton is made of soft cartilage that does not become a fossil very often, Pimiento said. So the scientists used the few fossils that are available, including a rare collection of back bones that has been at a museum in Belgium since the 1860s.
  • 11
  • Researchers also brought in many megalodon teeth, each as big as a closed human hand, Hutchinson said. Special images of modern great white sharks helped researchers recreate the rest of the creature.
  • 12
  • Researchers estimate that the megalodon would have weighed around 70 tons, or as much as 10 elephants.
  • 13
  • Even other high-level hunters may have been food for the megalodon, which had a mouth almost 2 meters wide, Pimiento said.
  • 14
  • Megalodons lived an estimated 23 million to 2.6 million years ago.
  • 15
  • Since megalodon fossils are rare, these kinds of models require a "leap of imagination," said Michael Gottfried who studies ancient bones at the Michigan State University.
  • 16
  • Gottfried was not involved in the study. But he said the study's findings are reasonable based on what is known about the large shark.
  • 17
  • I'm John Russell.
  • 18
  • Maddie Burakoff reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English.
  • 19
  • _________________________________________________________________
  • 20
  • Words in This Story
  • 21
  • fossil - n. the mineralized remains of an animal or plant that lived in the distant past
  • 22
  • cartilage - n. a strong but flexible material found in some parts of the body (such as the nose, the outer ear, and some joints)
  • 23
  • fossilize - v. to become a fossil or to cause (something) to become a fossil
  • 24
  • museum - n. a building in which interesting and valuable things (such as paintings and sculptures or scientific or historical objects) are collected and shown to the public
  • 25
  • leap - n. a long or high jump