About 15 million years ago, when the blockbuster Jaws captured the attention of generations of moviegoers, the giant megalodon (Otodus megalodon) crept into the oceans of the earth. An ancestor of modern sharks could eat prey the size of a killer whale in just five bites. The largest specimens reached 58 to 72 feet in length and had teeth nearly three times the size of modern great white sharks.

A team of researchers in southern Maryland has now unearthed fossil evidence of a possible bottom-up megalodon attack on whales. The fossils were discovered near Calvert His Cliffs in Southern Maryland by volunteer and fossil collector Mike Hellwood at the Calvert Maritime Museum. Its origins date back to the Miocene (about 23-5.3 million years ago). At the time, Maryland was warm, shallow coastal waters with large plumes of seaweed and succulents that supported turtles, crustaceans, and marine mammals.

in an interview with live science, says Steven J. Godfrey, curator of paleontology at the Calvert Maritime Museum in Solomons, Maryland, and lead author of the study. I wanted to know the story behind it, as the injury was severe and clearly the result of severe trauma. “

[Related: 3D models show the megalodon was faster, fiercer than we ever thought.]

A study published in the journal last month paleontology electronica, detailing a survey of two fossils from fractured vertebrae of whales and one megalodon tooth. They used CT scans and other medical imaging techniques at a local hospital to take a closer look inside the ancient site.

There is evidence of a compression fracture in one of the vertebrae. This study suggests that the whale’s spine must have been forced into a very tight curve, with pressure from the vertebrae immediately next to each other striking against each other to sustain this type of injury. ing.

“We only have circumstantial evidence, but it’s very tough circumstantial evidence,” Godfrey said. live science“This is how we see the story unfold. There are limits to what we can claim, but I hope the evidence speaks for itself.”

Another possible cause of this type of spine injury is that the whale ingested the toxic algae and convulsed so violently that it broke its back. However, the authors argue that a megalodon attack was the most likely cause, given the amount of damage to the spinal bones.

The team also examined megalodon teeth that were found alongside fossilized vertebrae. The tip of the tooth was broken, which can occur after hitting something hard like bone. It is also possible that they fell off while swimming or feeding on the remains of already dead or injured whales. However, the researchers haven’t ruled out the possibility that the megalodon lost its teeth by slamming its jaws into the whale.

[Related: Megalodons liked to snack on sperm whale snouts.]

According to the Maryland Geological Survey, extinct shark teeth are commonly found in Calvert County, Maryland, and come from a wide variety of shark species. Citizen scientists and paleontologists alike Galeocerdo Contortas When Galeo Serdo Tricketer (similar to modern tiger sharks), Sphyrma prisca (relative to hammerhead sharks), and Odonthaspis Elegance (Sand Shark). The area is a calving ground for whales and dolphins, and it is believed that smaller whales may be easier targets for hungry megalodon.