apex predators
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Orcas Don’t Need Buddies to Kill and Eat Great White Sharks
Researchers studying orcas off the coast of South Africa recently observed one of the whales consuming a great white shark alone, in just two minutes. Since 2017, two orcas in particular have been wreaking havoc on the great whites off South Africa’s Mossel Bay. Dubbed Port and Starboard (cute!), the apex predators have developed a…
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The Massive, Ancient Megalodon Shark Was… Skinny?
O. megalodon, my megalodon. The gargantuan shark that prowled the Miocene seas has long captured the imagination because of its stupendous 60-foot length—three times the size of the largest great white sharks. But now, a team of researchers suggests that the extinct apex predator’s body shape was slightly different than expected. The enormous O. megalodon…
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Meet Jormungandr, a ‘Sea Dragon’ From North Dakota
No aquatic reptiles today can match mosasaurs, ocean-dwelling creatures of the Cretaceous period that looked something like a cross between a whale and a shark. Now, a group of researchers have discovered a mosasaur that they believe bridges the gap between two iconic species in the ancient group. The newly described mosasaur is Jormungandr walhallaensis,…
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New Orca Defences Are in Development
Acoustic devices could give humans the upper hand in the orca vs. yacht battle.