Ancient Megapiranha Had Extremely Powerful Bite

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Scientists say the ancient Megapiranha paranensis delivered a bite with a more powerful bite force quotient than prehistoric whale-eating sharks and Tyrannosaurus rex. The scientists calculate that Megapiranha paranensis, which weighed about 22 pounds, could have had a bite force anywhere from 1,240 to 4,750 newtons - or 280 to 1,070 pounds - and possibly more. This estimate is based on the biting force of Earth's largest piranha living today. T. rex slammed its jaws shut with 13,400 newtons, or 3,000 pounds of force, but this is nowhere near 30 times its body weight.

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