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Article Dans Une Revue Nature Communications Année : 2022

Trophic position of Otodus megalodon and great white sharks through time revealed by zinc isotopes

Jeremy Mccormack
Michael L Griffiths
Sora L Kim
  • Fonction : Auteur
Kenshu Shimada
Molly Karnes
Harry Maisch
Sarah Pederzani
Nicolas Bourgon
Klervia Jaouen
Martin A Becker
  • Fonction : Auteur
Niels Jöns
Guy Sisma-Ventura
  • Fonction : Auteur
Nicolas Straube
Jürgen Pollerspöck
Robert A Eagle
  • Fonction : Auteur
Thomas Tütken

Résumé

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 (δ 66 Zn) to geochemically assess the trophic level in diverse extant and extinct sharks, including the Neogene megatooth shark (Otodus megalodon) and the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). We reveal that dietary δ 66 Zn signatures are preserved in fossil shark tooth enameloid over deep geologic time and are robust recorders of each species' trophic level. We observe significant δ 66 Zn 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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hal-03852586 , version 1 (15-11-2022)

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Jeremy Mccormack, Michael L Griffiths, Sora L Kim, Kenshu Shimada, Molly Karnes, et al.. Trophic position of Otodus megalodon and great white sharks through time revealed by zinc isotopes. Nature Communications, 2022, 13, ⟨10.1038/s41467-022-30528-9⟩. ⟨hal-03852586⟩
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