Megalodon Survival RPG

During the Pliocene, larger and more advanced cetaceans appeared in addition to small baleen whales.[62] Megalodons modified their attack strategy to cope with these animals as well. Many flipper bones and tail vertebrae of fairly large Pliocene whales bearing megalodon bite marks have been found.[6][17] This may indicate that megalodons first attempted to immobilize large prey by tearing off or biting off its motor organs, and only then killed and consumed it.[6][17] There is also a strong suggestion that, due to their slow metabolism and relatively low physical strength, large megalodons were scavengers rather than active hunters. Damage to the bones of cetaceans may not reflect the tactics megalodon used to kill large prey, but rather the method by which they extracted chest contents from dead carcasses, which smaller sharks could not reach. Damage from the supposed ramming attacks of megalodons may in fact have been inflicted by whales during ritual intraspecific combat and may have caused the death of the animals. Trying to restrain and kill even a small whale by biting it in the back or chest—its most protected parts—would have been very difficult and illogical, since megalodon could have killed its prey much more quickly by attacking it in the abdomen, like modern sharks. This point of view is perfectly consistent with the fact that the teeth of adult megalodons were more robust, while the teeth of juveniles (apparently more active predators) and early relatives of megalodons more closely resembled those of modern white sharks.[49]

Modern sharks often employ complex hunting strategies when capturing prey. Some paleontologists have suggested that the great white shark's hunting strategies may provide insight into how megalodon hunted its unusually large prey (for a shark, for example, whales).[62] However, fossil evidence suggests that megalodon may have used somewhat different and quite effective techniques for hunting cetaceans.[48] Furthermore, it likely ambushed its prey and never attempted active pursuit, as it was unable to reach high speeds and had very limited stamina.[53]

To determine the methods of attack by megalodon on prey, paleontologists conducted a special study of fossil remains.[48] The results show that the attack methods may have varied depending on the size of the prey.[62] Fossil remains of small cetaceans indicate that they were subjected to a powerful ramming attack, after which they were killed and eaten.[62] One of the objects of study—fossils of a 9-meter baleen whale from the Miocene era—made it possible to quantitatively analyze the attack behavior of megalodon.[48] The predator mainly attacked hard bony areas of the prey's body (shoulders, flippers, ribcage, upper spine)[48], which white sharks usually avoid.[48] Dr. Bretton Kent suggested that megalodon tried to break bones and damage vital organs (such as the heart and lungs) enclosed in the prey's ribcage.[48] Attacking these vital organs immobilized the prey, which quickly died from severe internal damage.[48] These studies also further indicate why megalodon needed relatively stronger teeth than the great white shark.[48]

Fossil evidence suggests that megalodon fed on cetaceans, including small sperm whales,[18] early bowhead whales,[54] cetotheres,[16] minke whales,[55] walrus dolphins,[56] dolphins,[17] porpoises,[18] sirens,[57][58] pinnipeds,[16][26] and sea turtles.[57] The size of the largest megalodons suggests that their prey was primarily composed of animals between 2.5 and 7 meters (8.25 and 23 ft) in length—many of which may have been primitive baleen whales.[59][60] Although small baleen whales are often slow and unable to counterattack, megalodon would have required devastating weaponry and an effective hunting strategy to catch them. Currently, numerous whale bones have been found bearing clear large tooth marks (deep scratches) consistent with those of megalodon.[8][17] In many cases, megalodon teeth have been found near whale fossils bearing similar marks.[17][50] Sometimes, teeth have even been found embedded in such fossils.[61] Like other sharks, megalodon would have been a large fish-eater, especially when young.[16][51]