By observing the differences in zinc ratios between Otodus (megalodon) and Carcharodon (great white shark) populations, scientists have discovered a potential cause that may have led to the extinction of the megalodon.
There is no denying that megalodon (Otodus megalodon) is one of the largest and most ferocious predatory animals to have ever existed. However, there is substantial evidence that a predatory species still alive today has threatened the existence of this mighty creature. That species is the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias).
The megalodon may have gone extinct due to the great white shark taking over its habitat and food sources.
A recent study indicated that these two species may have coexisted during the same period, and the great white shark could have played a significant role in the decline of megalodon populations by competing for habitat and hunting the same prey as the “monster.”
Now, another study utilizing data based on zinc isotope ratios in the teeth of these animals has confirmed similar findings. According to this research, the great white shark has been identified as the primary reason that pushed the megalodon to the brink of extinction.
“The signals regarding zinc ratios in the diet preserved in the fossilized shark teeth provide accurate records of the nutritional status of each species,” stated Jeremy McCormack, a scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany. “By observing the differences in zinc ratios between Otodus and Carcharodon populations, we noticed changes in their diets over an extended period.”
According to McCormack, this could be the “key” holding clues to the extinction of this giant monster.
Megalodon is recognized as one of the largest and most ferocious predatory animals to have ever lived on Earth.
It is known that these two predatory fish had a period where they shared a similar average nutritional level, specifically during the early Pliocene epoch (from 5.33 million to 2.58 million years ago). However, over time, this ratio remained stable in the great white shark while it did not in the megalodon. This indicates that competition for food sources and habitats occurred very strongly.
Ultimately, the megalodon, which lived from 23 million years ago, went extinct around 3.6 million years ago, during the mid-Pliocene.
Nevertheless, the great white shark seems to be just one of many factors leading to the megalodon’s extinction. Researchers indicate that other factors, such as climate change leading to rising temperatures or a decline in prey populations, may also have contributed to the megalodon’s inability to adapt, resulting in mass extinction.
The study was published in the journal Nature Communications on May 31, 2022.
