Even T. Rex Had To Be Impressed By Megapiranha
Thursday, December 27, 2012 - 14:31
in Paleontology & Archaeology
A piranha's specialized jaw morphology and mean nature allow them to be in an extreme biting Hall of Fame. And it isn't a new development. While Serrasalmus rhombeus, the black piranha, is a contender for most powerful bite for its size today, an ancient relative of piranhas, Megapiranha paranensis, which weighed only about 20 pounds, delivered a bite with greater force more fierce than prehistoric whale-eating sharks, the four-ton ocean-dwelling Dunkleosteus terrelli and even Tyrannosaurus rex. Modern piranhas can tear through soft tissue but Megapiranha paranensis was able to pierce thick shells and crack armoring and bones, according to Stephanie Crofts, a University of Washington doctoral student in biology. read more