News Paleontology

Megalodon sharks may have become megapredators by running hot

Warmer-than-seawater body temperature may have helped the ancient sharks swim fast and snag prey

An illustration of a megalodon about to eat a brown seal while a great white shark swims in the top left of the frame.

Otodus megalodon (center in this illustration, preying on a seal) was warmer-blooded than the great white shark (top left). That warm-bloodedness may have helped it grow so large, but also ultimately spelled its doom as food sources dwindled.

Alex Boersma/PNAS

By Carolyn Gramling

Massive, megatoothed Otodus megalodon ran hot — the ancient shark was at least somewhat warm-blooded, new evidence shows.