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How many years ago did the megalodon live
Megalodon died out, probably on the border of the Pliocene and Pleistocene, about 2.6 million years ago, although there are a number of reports of Pleistocene finds. Sometimes called the figure 1.6 million years ago. For teeth raised from the ocean floor, some researchers, based on the growth rate of the crust of deposits, received an age of tens of thousands and even hundreds of years, but this method of determining age is unreliable: the crust can grow at different rates even in different areas of the same tooth, and may stop growth for unclear reasons.
Are orca teeth sharp?
The teeth of the killer whale are quite large and have a cone-shaped shape with a slight bend. Sharp or not? On the one hand, the teeth of the killer whale can be called sharp, especially in the front of the jaw. They have a pointed shape, but this was not sewn. Since the thickness of the teeth is thick. And when the teeth wear and wash, they become more blunt and not sharp. So the answer is whether the teeth of the killer whale are sharp or not sharp will not be unambiguous. But we can say for sure that initially the teeth of the killer whale have a pointed shape, which means they are sharp.
Ancient marine predators turned out to be similar to killer whales
Ancient predatory reptiles that lived in the oceans during the dinosaurs were similar to modern killer whales – paleontologists made this conclusion by studying fossils 85 million years old.
Tiny remains of a baby tilosaurus (Tylosaurus mosasaurs) were found in Kansas, USA. Scientists have suggested that he died almost immediately after birth.
Adults of this species grew up to 15 meters in length and were at the top of the food chain, having neither enemies nor competitors, reports the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.
Until recently, not too much was known about them. But the well-preserved fossil allowed paleontologists to study the structure of the bones of the muzzle, skull and upper jaw. They concluded that extinct predators behaved similar to the now living killer whales.
Studies have shown that the shape of the tilosaurs resembled killer whales. The method of hunting coincided – they did not bite the victim, but rammed her nose. This is evidenced by a specific bone protrusion protecting the front teeth, as well as wider and stronger facial bones connected to the powerful arch of the skull than in other species.
Apparently, predators tried to drown or drive the prey, and attacked it after it finally lost strength.
Scientists also noted that tilosaurs, apparently, grew very quickly. The body weight of the cub was only 1/6 of the weight of an adult animal, and the circumference of the head was 13 centimeters (in an adult – more than a meter).
Earlier it was reported that scientists learned new details about the lives of young diplodoks. After studying the remains of the cub, who was given the name Andrew, they established that the young could graze not only in the open space, but also in the forests, eating grass and tree leaves.
What is special about shark teeth?
Shark teeth are special. They’re sharp as razors can cut through almost anything like a knife…. These teeth have a triangular shape. They are specially designed to destroy and eat prey. A powerful jaw is a feature of a shark. Some sharks can have up to 15 rows of teeth in each jaw! The bull shark has as many as 50 rows of teeth. This is a murder machine. It’s done on purpose to kill.
Megalodon fossil
What size was megalodon and how much did it weigh?
Megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon, “big tooth”) is the largest predatory shark in the history of the Earth. The size of the prehistoric fish was tried repeatedly. In 1909, when the jaw of the megalodon was first reconstructed, the body length of the shark was estimated by scientists to be 30 meters. Today’s advances in vertebrate biology and new finds of megalodon remnants have halved the estimated size. With different methods of studying predator teeth, we get a body length from 13 meters to 18. Only in 2015, after studying a large sample of teeth, an average length of 10 meters was obtained, and a maximum of 15 meters. For comparison: a large white shark can theoretically reach seven meters in length. The size of the megalodon approaches the largest marine reptiles of the Mesozoic, such as mosasaurs and ichthyosaurs.
Why do you use the teeth of a shark, not parts of its skeleton, in size assessments? Because sharks are cartilaginous fish. That is, their skeleton does not consist of bones, but of cartilage. Cartilage is poorly preserved. They decompose before they stone. So we have almost no remnants of megalodon other than teeth.
For a long time, the mass of megalodon remained the subject of controversy. It is difficult to draw conclusions about the mass based only on the teeth of the animal. The lack of remains of a giant predator interfered with accurate estimates. If you reconstruct megalodon based on white shark complexation, we get a body weight of 41 to 47 tons. But we can compare the dimensions of megalodon and whale shark to draw conclusions about the mass of extinct fish. This method underestimates the weight to 30 tons. All the same, with such a mass, the predator had to consume a colossal amount of food, more than a ton per day. While studying the fossils of whales, the peers of megalodon, it became clear where the shark took such an amount of food. Many skeletal residues of large marine mammals had characteristic lesions suitable for the profile and size of megalodon teeth.
What was the size of the megalodon teeth and what was the size of the largest sample found.
The teeth of a giant shark are found around the world. Their average size varies from 10 to 13 cm. These sizes are already impressive, since the teeth of a large white shark are only 7 cm long. However, several megalodon teeth were found more than 17 cm long. The largest of the megalodon teeth found totaled as much as 19 cm.
In 1843, when megalodon was first described, it was assigned to the genus Carcharadon, to which the white shark belongs. Two huge sharks, with large serrated teeth – they are probably relatives. But time passed, science developed, and the paleontological record was filled. Today, the taxonomy of sharks looks different than a century and a half ago. The evolutionary pathways of the white shark and megalodon diverged more than 60 million years ago.
Megalodon is believed to be the owner of the most powerful bite in the history of fish. His giant jaws could squeeze on the victim with a monstrous force of 109 kN. This is three times stronger than today’s record holder – a combed crocodile. In terms of bite strength, megalodon is inferior to tyrannosaurus (more than 200 kN) and deinosuch (more than 350 kN).
How many teeth did megalodon have?
Do not forget that the jaw of megalodon was shrunk with a huge number of sharp teeth. Predators like sharks tend to have a large number of teeth. The old ones break down, wear out, while the new ones are already on the way. The giant’s two-meter jaw consisted of more than 270 teeth located in five rows. Triangular notches on them, the same as in a white shark, indicate a similar diet. Megalodon did not swallow his prey, nor did the white shark. Sharp and strong teeth more than 10 cm long literally drank huge pieces of the flesh of unsuccessful victims.
Of course, speaking of megalodon, it is impossible to pass by his teeth as valuable samples for collectors. The fact is that the teeth of sharks regularly fall out and are well preserved. Today, megalodon is well studied, and there is no end and edge to the finds. Small teeth cost a little and can become an interesting and unusual gift. But samples from 16 centimeters are already very expensive and can reach a cost of tens of thousands of dollars.
But size is not the only factor determining value. It is also affected by safety and color. The larger the size, the more difficult it is to find a well-preserved sample. The most expensive are large teeth in perfect preservation, which are usually classified as “museum quality.”
What did Megalodon eat?
The huge size of the shark and its monstrous teeth transparently hint at the place of the superstore in marine ecosystems. The Internet is littered with colorful paintings in which megalodon tears whales. Recently, there has been a reverse tendency to “expose” ancient predators, turning them into scavengers. It is easy to find videos that prove that megalodon was a kind of scavenger who slowly drove up dead in the ocean. And what do paleontologists say about this?
Megalodon was an active predator who used different food strategies at different ages. Young megalodons hunted everything that moves, moving with increasing size to marine mammals. The main prey of adults were cetaceans 2.5-7 meters long, large fish and sea turtles. Prey with a length of over 7-10 meters in the diet of megalodon is less common. But like modern sharks, he could gladly benefit from carrion.
During the hunt, megalodon tried to attack from below. A ramming blow and bites were inflicted on the chest, often the fins were bitten off. Given the slowness of megalodon metabolism, adults were ambush predators. They could guard the victim for a long time while in the depths, and did not pursue if the victim managed to leave.
During the hunt, megalodon tried to attack from below. A ramming blow and bites were inflicted on the chest, often the fins were bitten off. Given the slowness of megalodon metabolism, adults were ambush predators. They could guard the victim for a long time while in the depths, and did not pursue if the victim managed to leave.
Causes of extinction
The warm ocean and a huge abundance of food made the megalodon a very successful predator. The remains of an ancient shark were found in the Americas, Europe, Africa, as well as Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, the Canary Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malta, the Grenadines and India. But what led megalodon to success was its death: 2.6 million years ago, the planet’s climate began to change greatly, the oceans were cooling. The large fauna died out, and the giant predator simply had nothing to eat. The influence of other higher predators, such as killer whales, is not excluded. Today, a white shark weighing 1-2 tons is a breakfast for young killer whales. But, most likely, megalodon died out due to a complex of reasons that unsuccessfully fell on his head.
Fossils
The record of Megalodon fossils indicates the cosmopolitan distribution of this predator. Transitional fossils have been found showing that megalodon is the last chronoid of the line of giant sharks originally belonging to the genus Otodus, which developed in the Paleocene. Megalodon had a global distribution, and shark fossils were found in many places around the world bordering all the oceans of the Neogene.
Is it legal to buy fossils?
The sale of fossils on the international market is absolutely legal. However, some specimens have historical and cultural value. Therefore, it is necessary to do an examination. If the examination recognizes that the fossil has museum value, then you will be offered a fee. In most cases, valuable fossils are in private collections and are not sold. You can buy the fossil at auction from a private collection. Fossils are very expensive if they are rare. However, you can buy fossils and inexpensive. If the fossil is found on a private territory, for example, in the USA, then it can be freely bought and sold. As a rule, fossils are bought around the world without restrictions. But if there are restrictions on the sale of fossils, then the seller must warn you about this.
What is the most famous fossils?
Different fossils are mined in different parts of the world. For example, marine animals are found in Central Russia: ammonites, trilobites, sharks, fish, ichthyosaurs and pliosaurs. Obtaining them is easier due to accessibility. In the dinosaur era, this area was covered with water
Fossils of sharks and megalodon teeth are very popular in the world. Megalodon is a species of extinct sharks from the Otodontidae family. Megalodon was one of the largest fish of all time. Fossil remains of megalodon are found in many parts of the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and India. Among modern species, the white shark was previously considered the most similar to megalodon.
Dinosaur fossils are very popular. Usually everyone dreams of having a tyrannosaurus tooth – (T-Rex). Tyrannosaurus teeth are one of the most expensive.
There are many different types of fossils, including parts of the skeleton, shells, footprints, passages made by iliac worms, remains of mollusks, etc. Most of the fossils we find today are the remains of mainly marine inhabitants. This is due to the fact that they were buried in sedimentary rocks before all traces of their vital activities disappeared!
The largest fossil dinosaur Brachiosaurus was found in Tanzania. Its height is 12 meters, and its length is 22.5 m.
The longest fossil dinosaur reaches 27 m. This is Diplodoc, discovered in Wyoming, USA.
The smallest dinosaur the size of a chicken and wingspan of 55-75 cm was found in China. It’s the Micro Raptor.
Wild orca teeth
Many killer whales in captivity suffer from serious dental problems – mainly in animals broken and cracked teeth, as well as fallen or torn out. Often damaged teeth require drilling, after which a hollow cone remains. One of the main reasons is stress and boredom. The steel gates separating the pools of the aquarium are made of horizontal bars. These gates serve as the first line of defense when whales “behave poorly,” become aggressive and it is necessary to physically separate animals.
It is often observed that two separated whales gnaw the bars of the grid. As a result, the tooth tissue is damaged. If not treated, the rotting tooth can turn into a large hollow, where food is slaughtered. This provokes inflammation, the occurrence of infection, becoming a threat to the immune and cardiovascular systems of the body. Many killer whales were trained to withstand this hellish procedure – with the help of tricks and incentives. First, the animal is required to put the chin on the edge of the pool. Then the trainers show the animal a high-speed drill – like the one used for repair work on the house. In this case, the animal is scratched behind the fins or fed with fish. Then they touch the teeth with a drill – not including it, again stroking and feeding. After the drill is turned on at low speeds, and then on full ones – until blood sprays from the drilled hole.
Killer whale diet
Killer whale lives in all oceans, from polar ice caps to the equator, where large victims such as tuna, salmon and seals are abundant. Other sources of food (diet) are squid, sea lions, penguins, whales and guinea pigs. In the North Pacific, several populations live along the coast of Alaska, in the inland waterways of British Columbia and Washington, as well as off the coast of Baja California. In the North Atlantic, they can be found from the waters from Newfoundland and Labrador to Iceland, Norway and the British Isles. In the southern hemisphere, killer whales can be seen off the coast of Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and the Galapagos Islands.
The diet consists mainly of fish and sometimes of cephalopods. Killer whales are at the top of the food chain and have a very diverse diet, eating fish, penguins and marine mammals such as seals, sea lions and even whales, using teeth up to four inches long. It is known that seals are enough directly from the ice. They also eat fish, squid and seabirds.
Physical Characteristics of Killer Whale
About Killer Whale Size
Adult male killer whales are larger than their female counterpart, including features such as pectoral flippers, dorsal fins, caudal paws and girth. Male killer whales reach a length of 10 m and have a mass of up to 8 tons, females – up to 8.7 m long.
The sizes of killer whales vary significantly between different ecotypes.
Male killer whales of Antarctic type A can reach a length of 9.2 m (30 feet), which makes them the largest known killer whales.
The smallest ecotype of killer whales is Antarctic type C, in which adult females average 5.2 m (17 feet) and adult males average 5.6 m (18 feet) in length and can reach a maximum of 6.1 m (20 feet).
The dorsal fin in males is high (up to 1.5 m) and almost straight, and in females it is about half as low and bent.
The head is short, flattened from above, without a beak; teeth are massive, up to 13 cm long, adapted to tear large prey.
Body Shape of Orca
The shape of the killer whale body is streamlined and tapering at both ends. This form is energy efficient for swimming. It creates less water resistance when swimming compared to other animals.
Color of Killer Whales
The color of killer whales is their species-specific feature. The back and sides of the animal are black, the lower jaw, throat and belly are white. In the back of the body, a white color with two fangs rises to the caudal stem on the sides up, sometimes reaching the back. Two white spots are located in front of and above the eyes. On the vertical of the dorsal fin, two white spots can be located on the sides, merging behind the dorsal fin into one saddle-shaped spot, which serves researchers to recognize individual animals “in the face.” In the waters of the Arctic of the Antarctic, light areas of the skin of killer whales may have a yellowish-greenish or brown tint due to the diatom algae film covering them.
Teeth
Killer whales have 10-14 teeth in each half of the upper jaw, and 8-14 in the lower. With a closed mouth, the teeth of the upper jaw enter the gaps between the teeth of the lower, which helps when setting prey or biting off part of it.
Distribution and migration of killer whales
Killer whales are found in almost all areas of the World Ocean, both near the coast and in open waters. Killer whales live everywhere in the Atlantic Ocean: from the shores of Greenland and Svalbard to the Antarctic region. They are ordinary guests in the Mediterranean Sea. The Indian Ocean is inhabited up to Australia, and in summer they are found circumpolar in the waters of the Antarctic, reaching the ice border.
In Arctic waters, they are distributed intermittently: killer whales were not found in the East Siberian Sea and the Laptev Sea, although they are known in the Barents Sea, the western and northwestern parts of the Kara Sea, off the coast of Murman and in the White Sea. In the Far East of Russia, killer whales are often found in the Sea of Japan and Okhotsk, off the coast of Kamchatka, the Kuril and Commander Islands, as well as in the Bering Sea. A.G. Tomilin, back in 1951, noted that in the Kamchatka coastal waters, killer whales were most often observed at Cape Shipunsky, where the Sivucha lodge is located, in the Olyutorsky and Avachinsky bays.
Reproduction and development
Mating killer whales in nature is quite difficult to register, since sexual behavior in dolphins is often observed in the context of social and game activity, including between same-sex individuals. However, studies of dried animals suggest that conception occurs in the summer months and early autumn. The duration of pregnancy is not precisely established, although it is believed that the carrying of the cub lasts 16-17 months. In Canada, baby killer whales are born mainly from October to March. It is possible that the reproductive cycle of killer whales varies in various areas of the World Ocean, since, according to Russian researchers E.I.
Ivanova and V.A. Zemsky, the birth of cubs is timed to summer months, and according to the results of Norwegian scientists – to early autumn. As part of our research, the birth of a cub in early August was once reliably recorded.
The body length of the newborn is 250-270 cm, and by the year it reaches 350 cm. Females grow to about 10 years old, and the first viable offspring are born between the 12th and 18th years of life. Males reach the size of an adult female by the eighth year of life and continue to increase in size up to 15 years. The physical maturity of males occurs at 18-20 years old. Determination of the age of growing males is possible by the HWR coefficient (ratio of height to width of the dorsal fin), each value of which corresponds to a certain age of the male killer whale.
The life expectancy of killer whales has not been precisely established, but in 1987 Olesiuk and his colleagues observed two females whose age was determined to be 77 years old. Calculations of the age of some females, based on the number and age of their descendants, showed that the oldest of them may have reached their 90th birthday. The maximum life expectancy of males cannot be determined, since from the moment of puberty and physical maturity, external changes do not occur to them. But, based on the quantitative sex ratio of animals that have reached thirty-five years, it is assumed that the life expectancy of males is much shorter than the life expectancy of females and does not exceed 50-60 years.
Pectoral Flippers
A killer whale’s forelimbs are adapted for swimming. A killer whales uses its rounded, paddlelike pectoral flippers to steer and, with the help of the flukes, to stop. Pectoral flippers have the major skeletal elements of the forelimbs of land mammals, but they are shortened and modified. The skeletal elements are rigidly supported by connective tissue. Blood circulation in the pectoral flippers adjusts to help maintain body temperature.
The pectoral flippers of male killer whales are proportionately larger than those of females. A large male killer whale may have pectoral flippers as large as 2 m (6.5 ft.) long and 1.2 m (4 ft.) wide. A female’s pectoral flippers are significantly smaller.
A killer whale’s pectoral flipper contains 5 digits much like the fingers on a human hand.
Flukes
Each lobe of the two-lobed tail is called a fluke. Flukes are flat pads of tough, dense, fibrous connective tissue, completely without bone or cartilage.Although killer whales have 50 to 54 vertebrae, no bones extend into the flukes. Without bones or even cartilage in the flukes, it is not unusual to see them curved, especially in larger males. A large male killer whale may have tail flukes measuring 2.75 m (9 ft.) from tip to tip. Longitudinal muscles in the back one-third of the body (both above and below the spine) move the flukes up and down. Like the arteries of the flippers, the arteries of the flukes are surrounded by veins to help maintain body temperature.
Dorsal Fin
Dorsal fin is made of dense fibrous connective tissue, without bones or cartilage. The size and shape of the dorsal fin differs from species to species. The dorsal fin of the male killer whale is proportionally larger than that of the female.
In adult males, the dorsal fin is high and triangular. Reaching a height of up to six feet, in a large adult male, it is the highest dorsal fin of all cetaceans.
In most females, the dorsal fin is slightly posterior and smaller – from about 3 to 4 feet tall.
Like paws and flippers, the arteries in the dorsal fin are surrounded by veins that help maintain body temperature.
The dorsal fin can help stabilize the killer whale when it swims at high speeds, but the fin is not essential to the whale’s balance.
Orca Head
The single opening at top of the head is blocked by a muscular rag. The killer whale breathes through the hole. The blowing-off well is weakened in a closed position, and the shutter provides waterproof consolidation. To open the hole, the killer whale squeezes a muscular rag.
Eyes of killer whales from each side of the head, directly for and over a mouth corner, and before a white eye spot. Eyes of killer whales approximately same size, as eye of a cow. Glands in internal corners of eye-sockets excrete slime, oily, similar to jelly, which greases eyes, washes away fragments and probably helps to order eyes as the killer whale floats.
Ears represent small imperceptible dimples behind each eye, without external rags or a pin at once. These small external ear openings lead to reduction of ear canals which aren’t connected to middle ears.
Physical Differences in Ecotypes
The five forms of Antarctic killer whales look different and are easier to distinguish from each other.
- Type A killer whales have a medium size, a horizontal eye patch and a very weak dorsal saddle. These are the largest ecotypes of killer whales.
- Large killer whales of type B have a very large, horizontal eye patch. The small killer whale of type B has a slightly narrower and inclined eye patch. Both types have a dorsal saddle, a dorsal nappy (dark gray coating on the back), and may have a yellowish cast due to the diatoms layer on their skin.
- Type C killer whales have a small, forward-inclined eye patch and dorsal saddle and often have a yellowish cast due to diatom coating. This is the smallest species of killer whales.
- Type D killer whales have an extremely tiny eye patch, onion melon (forehead) and a very weak saddle.
- Experts note subtle differences between the inhabitants, transitional and marine killer whales of the eastern part of the North Pacific Ocean.
In general, resident killer whales are larger and have a rounded tip on the dorsal fin, which is a falcate (curved backward) in adult females and tall and triangular in males. The dorsal saddle may contain some black areas.
Transient killer whales are usually smaller and have a more pointed dorsal fin. The dorsal saddle does not contain any black areas. Marine killer whales are more similar in appearance to the resident ecotype, although they are smaller than either inhabitants or transitional and have a weak saddle.
Ecotypes of killer whales of the North Atlantic.
Type 1 killer whales are significantly smaller than type 2. They have very distinct white eye spots and a noticeable saddle.
Type 2 killer whales are one of the largest ecotypes, with males reaching 8.5 m (29 feet) of length. They have very distinct white spots, an inclined eye patch and a weak saddle.