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Secret of Megalodon extinction revealed by scientists who say 50ft shark was too ‘hot and hungry’ as killer rival blamed

NEW research has suggested why the giant, prehistoric megalodon sharks died out.

In a new , researchers from UCLA found that unlike most sharks and fish today, which are cold-blooded, megalodon were warm-blooded.

New research has found that prehistoric megalodon sharks may have died out due to their internal temperature
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New research has found that prehistoric megalodon sharks may have died out due to their internal temperatureCredit: Getty

Scientists believe that the huge energy these 50ft-long sea predators needed to expend to keep warm put them at a big disadvantage compared to their cold-blooded cousins.

This warmer body allowed it to move faster, tolerate colder water, and spread across the world.

But it also meant that megalodons had to eat more than rival cold-blooded sharks, like the great white, just to maintain their constant body temperature.

Over time, scientists believe this disadvantage meant they were driven to extinction.

MEGALODONS

Megalodons are an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago.

The creatures, which evolved after the extinction of dinosaurs, could measure up to 50 feet – around the size of three long SUVs.

Now, analysis of their giant teeth suggests that unlike most sharks and fish today, which are cold-blooded, megalodons were warm-blooded.

Researchers say the discovery could provide insights into the survival of sharks still roaming our oceans.

“Studying the driving factors behind the extinction of a highly successful predatory shark like megalodon can provide insight into the vulnerability of large marine predators in modern ocean ecosystems,” said lead researcher Robert Eagle.

THE STUDY

Scientists looked at the isotopes in the tooth enamel of the ancient shark using mass spectrometers and statistical modeling.

They concluded that megalodon could maintain a body temperature that was around 13 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the surrounding water.

However, the UCLA team posits that the shark's evolutionary advantage may also have contributed to its downfall.

Global cooling began around 5.33 million years ago and ended 2.58 million years ago.

These ecological changes made it so the megalodon was using up more energy levels to elevate its body temperature compared to the great white.

"Maintaining an energy level that would allow for megalodon’s elevated body temperature would require a voracious appetite," said Eagle, a UCLA assistant professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences and member of the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

"That may not have been sustainable in a time of changing marine ecosystem balances when it may have even had to compete against newcomers such as the great white shark," he added.

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