Scientists at de Paul University in Chicago have found that megalodon cubs are already being born in large individuals. The reason for this is that in the womb, some embryos develop rapidly and begin to devour other embryos. This phenomenon is called oophagia or intrauterine cannibalism. The breeding patterns of ancient monster sharks are reported in an article published in Historical Biology, and the research is summarized in a press release on Phys.org.
The researchers analyzed the fossilized vertebrae of one 9-meter Megalodon specimen using computed tomography. They identified 46 growth bands similar to tree rings. It turned out that the size of the shark at birth already reached two meters in length.
This behavior is typical for some llama sharks, which include sand sharks. The embryos that hatch first begin to eat the unhatched brothers and sisters. As a result, only a few embryos survive, however they develop into rather large sharks. Although it is energetically expensive for the mother, the large size reduces the chances of juveniles being eaten.