Fish is the first group Placoderm jawed vertebrates, and aquatic ecosystems dominate between 430 and 360 million years ago.
This ancient fish has a layer of skin like a cloak / armor as a protector (placoderm = "leather armor"). Placoderm largest ever found is called the "Dunkleosteus Terrelli" with a length of 33 feet (10 m) and weighs 4 tons. This fish is sure to be the greatest predator in the ocean.
Currently, biologists make the biomechanical reconstruction of the jaw muscles of this fish, to prove that these creatures have the most powerful bite of any fish ever, surpassing the largest shark and crocodile or dinosaur extinction rivaling Tyranosaurus.
Scientists calculate the bite force of the jaws of these fish for 11,000 pounds (5.500kg / 5.5 tons!), This power is enough to destroy the skin and hardest bones in the ocean. Dunkleosteus jaw has a row of sharp teeth that will certainly add strength to bite, once measured, the pressure at each end of the jaws has a strength of more than 80,000 pounds (40.000Kg / 40 tons!) Per square inch.
Biomechanical model of the fish's mouth illustrates that it has a skull that is very easy to control because it has a unique mechanism in four rotational joints, this is the secret behind a strong bite.
In addition, Placoderm could open his mouth very quickly, in just 1 / 50 sec, which creates a strong suction force, and may attract prey into its mouth. Typically, the fish only has a strong bite bite or jaw capability of rapid, Placoderm have both.
"The most interesting part of this work for me is finding that the armored fish has the ability to open and close the jaw with a fast and strong," said Mark Westneat, Curator of Fish at The Field Museum.
"This is possible because of the unique engineering design of the skull and different muscles used to open and close and it made this fish into one of the true predator of the first peak seen in the vertebrate fossil record"
Strong bite of the Dunkleosteus possible to take other Placoderm, ammonoids, molluscs, or other arthropods. "Dunkleosteus able to devour anything in its environment," said Philip Anderson, at the Department of Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago.
Sharks, which is a descendant of Placoderm, has a sharp jaw is capable of splitting the prey is larger than his mouth had just emerged 100 million years later.
"Overall, this study shows how useful mechanical engineering theory can study the behavior of fossil animals," added Anderson.
"We can not really see the animals hunted or interact, but we can understand the various behaviors they might do by studying the parts of the fossils are formed and connected to each other."
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