†Megapiranha paranensis Cione & al. 2009 (Pisces Actinopterygii Characiformes Serrasalmidæ)

[†Megapiranha Cione & al. 2009: 1 sp]

 

(9.0-6.8 mya, 1.28 m × 73 Kg ℮)

 

Serrasalmus rhombeus can bite with a force more than 30 times its weight, a remarkable feat yet unmatched among Vertebrata; if †Megapiranha paranensis did have similar musculoskeletal architecture in the lower jaws scaled up to its larger body size, then mechanical advantage @ mid-jaw (MA = 1.0) could have produced bite forces as high as 2,480 N to 9,498 N. With this amplified ℮ a 73 kg †M. paranensis biting attack would have had the same ferocity of a 3,000 kg C. carcharias.

 

REFERENCES

 

D.R. Prothero 2022: Vertebrata evolution.

M. Richter & C.J. Underwood 2018: Evolution of fish skull.

A.W. Thompson & al. 2014: Serrasalmidæ phylogeny.

J.R. Grubich & al. 2012: Jaw forces of living and extinct piranhas.

C. Oliveira & al. 2011: Characidæ phylogeny.

A.L. Cione & al. 2009: †Megapiranha paranensis, a new genus and species from the upper Miocene of Argentina.

P.S.L. Anderson & M.W. Westneat 2009: A biomechanical model of feeding kinematics for †Dunkleosteus terrelli.

P.S.L. Anderson & M.W. Westneat 2007: Feeding mechanics and bite force modelling of †Dunkleosteus terrelli.

B. Freeman & al. 2007: Serrasalmidæ systematics.

Done