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Megalodon , a mega - size species of nonextant shark that prowled the world ’s oceans between 23 million and 3.6 million years ago , was potential warm - blooded and had a consistency temperature that was significantly higher than that of modern - Clarence Day shark , new research suggests .
A team of international scientists made the discovery while studying the fossilized teeth of themegalodon(Otodus megalodon ) , whose species name means " big tooth . " These jumbo - size carnivores often grew to be similar in duration to tractor - trailers , roughly 50 foot ( 15 meters ) long , according to a study published Monday ( June 26 ) in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .
Megalodon, an extinct species of shark, was likely warm-blooded.
Like many shark species , includinggreat whites(Carcharodon genus Odontaspis ) , megalodon is classified in the new research as being " regionally endothermic , " entail that it can wield its body heat even when its external environment is much cooler .
For the study , researcher used a combining of geothermal proficiency to estimate the elephantine shark ’s soundbox temperature based on the compositions of various isotope , or versions of elements , in fossilized megalodon tooth .
Related : Could the megalodon still exist today ?
The average body temperature of the megalodon was approximately 80 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius).
" The temperature at which the mineral formed , including biologically mineralize hard tissues like tooth , can be generalise from the level to which these isotopes have bond or ' clumped ' together , " study carbon monoxide gas - authorKenshu Shimada , a professor of palaeobiology in the College of Science and Health at DePaul University in Chicago , narrate Live Science in an e-mail . " The geochemical technique employed was previously used to examine the warm - bloodedness ofdinosaurs . The fresh sketch demonstrates that the method can be applied also to maritime vertebrates like shark using their hard , well - mineralized anatomical components such as teeth . "
The study found that the average body temperature of the megalodon was roughly 80 degree Fahrenheit ( 27 degrees Celsius ) , whereas modern - day sharks with regional endothermy have an medium body temperature between 72 F to 80 F ( 22 one C to 26.6 C ) , according to the study .
The megalodon ’s increase body temperature would have bestow many benefits .
" tender - bloodedness is advantageous because it leave an animal to have a more fighting lifestyle , such as being able to support long - distance swimming or quick swimming , " Shimada articulate . " Present - day warm - blooded sharks , such as mako andgreat white sharks , not only are able to swim fast congeneric to their moth-eaten - full-blooded counterparts , but their gamey metabolic passion from affectionate - bloodedness also facilitates food for thought digestion . "
However , warm - bloodedness also had its drawback and may have evenled , in part , to the megalodon ’s extinction .
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" The timing of megalodon ’s disappearance in the fossil record corresponds to the climatic cooling of the Earth , " Shimada pronounce . " quick - bloodedness must have actually provide an ' extra border ' to megalodon to be able to last in cooling waters . Yet , the fact that the species became extinct illuminates the likely vulnerability or the ' cost ' of being warm - full-blood because tender - bloodedness requires constant high food consumption to sustain high metabolism . "
He added , " It ’s quite possible that there was a chemise in the ecological landscape painting due to the climatical cooling that caused the seal level to deteriorate , altering the sea environments , where the populations of the types of food megalodon depended on , such as marine mammals , possibly became scarce , go to the demise of megalodon . "
