Sharks are arguably the top predators among marine creatures today, excelling in speed, bite force, tearing ability, and attack strategies. However, if we rewind to the Devonian period, 405 million to 365 million years ago, sharks were far from outstanding, and even unfortunately became a vulnerable group, constantly bullied by a marine behemoth called Dunkleosteus.
Dunkleosteus swallows shark
So, just how powerful is Dunkleosteus? Putting aside its physical test data, just hearing its nickname "steel crusher" is enough to give you a sense of how terrifying this creature is.
Based on modern scientific analysis of Dunkleosteus fossils, this dinosaur was conservatively estimated to be about 11 meters long (the largest carnivorous bony fish in history), with a body weight of about 6 tons, which ensured both strength and speed in the water.
Dunkleosteus body structure
The reason Dunkleosteus stood at the top of the Devonian marine life was mainly due to its terrifying bite force. For reference, the bite force of the great white shark, a terrifying predator in the ocean today, is only 765 kg, while Dunkleosteus' bite force reached an astonishing 5000 kg. Such a powerful bite force could almost cut a medium-sized shark in half with a single bite.
Dunkleosteus's steel-like teeth
Coincidentally, during the Devonian period, Dunkleosteus's favorite food was sharks. Sharks had a lot of meat, and the meat was of good quality, which fully satisfied Dunkleosteus's voracious appetite. Besides sharks, Dunkleosteus's favorite prey was placoderms around 4 meters long. If these "foods" were unavailable, Dunkleosteus had to subsist on aquatic creatures such as trilobites or nautiloids. In fact, the later extinction of Dunkleosteus was largely due to food scarcity.
Dunkleosteus hunts Carapax Shark
In reality, most people have limited knowledge of Dunkleosteus, and many, influenced by some games on the market, mistakenly believe it to be the strongest marine predator in history. Here, I also want to pour cold water on the notion of Dunkleosteus fans: although this marine behemoth ruled the Late Silurian and almost the entire Devonian period, in the grand scheme of history, Dunkleosteus wasn't the strongest. At least compared to the 36-ton bite force of the Megalodon, Dunkleosteus was far inferior.
Dunkleosteus skull fossil
However, this aligns with the natural cycle of life; no one can hold the throne forever. Each reigning for billions of years would be a pretty good outcome, considering that even humans, as the most intelligent of all beings, don't know if they can rule the Earth for that long!
