Cenozoic megatooth sharks occupied extremely high trophic positions

Trophic position is a fundamental characteristic of animals, yet it is unknown in many extinct species. In this study, we ground-truth the N-15/N-14 ratio of enameloid-bound organic matter (delta N-15(EB)) as a trophic level proxy by comparison to dentin collagen delta N-15 and apply this method to the fossil record to reconstruct the trophic level of the megatooth sharks (genus Otodus). These sharks evolved in the Cenozoic, culminating in Otodus megalodon, a shark with a maximum body size of more than 15 m, which went extinct 3.5 million years ago. Very high delta N-15(EB) values (22.9 +/- 4.4 parts per thousand) of O. megalodon from the Miocene and Pliocene show that it occupied a higher trophic level than is known for any marine species, extinct or extant. delta N-15(EB) also indicates a dietary shift in sharks of the megatooth lineage as they evolved toward the gigantic O. megalodon, with the highest trophic level apparently reached earlier than peak size.

Automated summary

In this study, the researchers validated the use of the N-15/N-14 ratio of enameloid-bound organic matter as a trophic level proxy and used it to reconstruct the trophic level of the megatooth sharks. The results showed that the extinct shark species, Otodus megalodon, occupied a higher trophic level than any known marine species. The study also revealed a dietary shift in the sharks as they evolved towards larger body sizes.