These Mega Creatures Teeth Were More About the Show Than About the Power

Formerly thought to be the ultimate tooth, these 7 inch long teeth are weaker than previously thought.

Transcript

00:00Megalodon. He was likely the largest marine predator to have ever existed. He had a mouth

00:08that could open up to more than 11 feet wide, filled with rows upon rows of 7 inch long

00:13razor sharp teeth. But now scientists are saying that those massive chompers may have

00:17all just been for show. Researchers from Bristol University have applied engineering techniques

00:22to digitally simulate how varied shapes of teeth handle bite force and load from lateral

00:26head movements, simulating how experts believe a megalodon must have hunted, similar to modern

00:31day sharks. What they expected? The megalodon teeth would withstand immense force, greater

00:36than that of its smaller relatives. What they found instead was that the ancient behemoth's

00:40teeth were quote, relatively weaker than the most slender teeth of other megatooth sharks.

00:45The scientists believe that rather than their teeth changing to acclimate to a new diet,

00:49the quote, acquisition of its gigantic body size was responsible for the evolution of

00:54the peculiar teeth of megalodon. Meaning those pearly whites didn't evolve to be the

00:57ultimate cutting tool, but rather simply grew to match the creature's massive 60 foot body.