Trophic position of Otodus megalodon and great white sharks through time revealed by zinc isotopes
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Abstract
Diet is a crucial trait of an animal’s lifestyle and ecology. The trophic level of an organism
indicates its functional position within an ecosystem and holds significance for its ecology
and evolution. Here, we demonstrate the use of zinc isotopes (δ66Zn) to geochemically
assess the trophic level in diverse extant and extinct sharks, including the Neogene mega tooth shark (Otodus megalodon) and the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). We reveal
that dietary δ66Zn signatures are preserved in fossil shark tooth enameloid over deep geo logic time and are robust recorders of each species’ trophic level. We observe significant
δ66Zn differences among the Otodus and Carcharodon populations implying dietary shifts
throughout the Neogene in both genera. Notably, Early Pliocene sympatric C. carcharias and
O. megalodon appear to have occupied a similar mean trophic level, a finding that may hold
clues to the extinction of the gigantic Neogene megatooth shark.
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Nature Communications, 13, Springer Science, London, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-30528-9