Healed Bone Gives Away Prehistoric Shark Bite

Of all the jaws to have evolved in their roughly 440 million year old history, few were as formidable as those of the enormous Carcharocles megalodon. The shark’s razor-toothed maw is what has made the extinct fish a regular star of pulp novels, b horror movies, and even basic cable hoaxes. Science backs up the shark’s reputation. In 2008, based on estimates from the study of a great white shark’s biting abilities, biomechanics expert Stephen Wroe and colleagues calculated that C. megalodon really did have a terrible bite – a crushing chomp between 24,000 and 41,000 pounds, depending on the position of prey in the 50-foot shark’s mouth.

But since C. megalodon forever disappeared from

Unlock this story for free
Create an account to read the full story and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles.

Unlock this story for free

Want the full story? Sign up to keep reading and unlock hundreds of Nat Geo articles for free.
Already have an account?
SIGN IN

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet