For years, the megalodon has been painted as a massive predator built as one thing—an ancient shark built to take down whales. But new research shows that this prehistoric giant may have been way less picky than we thought.
Despite the hype, megalodon wasn’t a specialized whale killer—it was a generalist, snacking on whatever the ocean offered.
In a study published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, scientists analyzed zinc isotopes in fossilized megalodon teeth and compared them to those of modern sharks. These isotopes—specifically the ratio of zinc-64 to zinc-66—can reveal an animal’s position on the food chain. The results suggest that megalodon wasn’t exclusively targeting whales at all.
Megalodon Shark’s Choice of Prey Isn’t What Scientists Thought
Instead, it was what geoscientist Jeremy McCormack calls an “ecologically versatile generalist.” In other words, it ate whatever it could get—marine mammals, large fish, smaller sharks. “Megalodon was by all means flexible enough to feed on marine mammals and large fish… depending on availability,” McCormack said in a press release.
That flexibility might have been necessary. Megalodon lived between 23 million and 3.6 million years ago, and despite its massive size (estimates put it between 36 and 65 feet), it didn’t always dine at the top. In fact, megalodon teeth found in what’s now Germany suggest some individuals fed lower down the food chain, depending on location and what was swimming by.
This kind of hunting strategy isn’t far off from today’s great white sharks, which also take an “if it moves, it’s food” approach. And that comparison isn’t random—white sharks may have played a role in megalodon’s downfall. Competing for similar prey in overlapping environments, they likely edged out the giant shark over time.
Beyond updating what we know about megalodon’s diet, the study points to a bigger truth: apex predators don’t last forever. “Even ‘supercarnivores’ are not immune to extinction,” said paleobiologist Kenshu Shimada.
There’s no doubt the megalodon was terrifying. But it was also hungry, adaptable, and, eventually, replaceable. Even if you’re the top predator for 20 million years, there’s always something waiting to take your place.
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