Sharks of their own prehistoric giant eels eat meat of young

A three-meter-long eel shark lives 300 million years ago ready to eat young animals when food sources become scarce.

According to the International Business Times, scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London, are focusing on studying a giant shark named Orthacanthus that lived 300 million years ago.

Orthacanthus sharks must eat children when they cannot find food.(Photo: Alain Beneteau).

In a study published Aug. 11 in the Journal of Paleontology, the team said that the crows of the spiral-shaped fossil belong to the great prehistoric sharks at the Minto coal mine in New Brunswick, Canada, which used to be an inland freshwater area in ancient times, aimed to understand the diversity of the marine fauna of that period.

Orthacanthus, one of the leading carnivores in the ocean world, also belongs to the largest predator in coastal marshes and shallow waters. This great monster has an eel-like body that reaches three meters long, spine bones and three-toothed teeth.

A three-toothed tooth of a young shark is found in the fossil specimen.(Photo: Aodhan O'Gogain).

Research fossil fossils to understand the behavior and biological characteristics of Orthacanthus, scientists discovered traces of cannibalism, especially the state of juvenile predation in this shark.

Samples filled with young teeth of Orthacanthus sharks are young, suggesting they are eaten by their parents."Maybe Orthacanthus sharks choose inland freshwater areas to protect and nourish their offspring, but they have to eat juvenile meat when the source of food becomes scarce , " said the doctor and co-author. .