New Analysis of Fearsome Teeth Confirms Megalodons Were 'Highest Level' Apex Predators

The largest shark that ever lived was probably 20 meters in length and had teeth the size of a human hand. The megalodon was the most powerful predator, according to new research.

Scientists can figure out where a creature was in the food chain by studying the levels of nitrogen-15 in cells.

High levels of nitrogen-15 and a place at the very top of the food chain can be seen in the megalodon's teeth. The megalodon lived from 23 million years ago to 3.6 million years ago and the food chain had to be higher than it is today.

"We're used to thinking of blue whales, whale sharks, even elephants and diplodocuses as filter feeders or herbivores, not predators," says biogeochemicalist Emma Kast from the University of Cambridge.

Meg and the other mega tooth sharks went extinct a few million years ago.

The only way to get a picture of megalodons and shark skeletons is to use their teeth. Thousands of teeth are produced by sharks as they grow.

The bits of organic matter that are stuck in the teeth give researchers nitrogen readings. Measurement can be taken using dentist drills, cleaning chemicals, and microbes.

A comprehensive review of nitrogen readings taken from modern day marine animals was needed to help the team put their findings into context.

One of the megalodon teeth used in the analysis. (Harry Maisch)

The marine food web is more extensive than the basic plant, herbivore, and predator system we're familiar with.

There were more trophic levels at the top of the megalodon's teeth.

"If megalodon were in the ocean, it would change the way humans interact with the marine environment," says Danny.

According to the researchers, the giant shark would have devoured anything it wanted. They most likely fed on whales and other mammals.

If you've seen The Meg, you'll know the size of the sharks. One outstanding question that the research doesn't answer is why such a dominant predator went extinct.

The teeth gathered from the ocean floor were looked at by the team. The chemical analysis system could be turned on to teeth from other animals.

The tool has the ability to decode ancient food webs. We need samples to do the same analysis that we did before.

The research was published in a journal.