Article Reflection No. 44 (3/4/2023)

Article: Dunk Was Chunky, but Still Deadly

Reflection:

In the article “Dunk Was Chunky, but Still Deadly” from The New York Times, writer Jack Tamisiea details a study by paleontologist Russell Engelman that suggests that the Dunkleosteus’s estimated length nears 13 feet, contradicting with its previously-estimated scale of being “as long as a school bus” (Tamisiea 1). The Dunkleosteus, Tamisiea writes, was an ancient predator on Earth, its powerful jaws capable of defeating a shark in a single chomp. Implementing head lengths by measuring the distance between the back of the head and its eyes then comparing it to that of 1,000 other species of modern fish or fossils, this study has emphasized on the significance of head size when scoping for the history of ancient species.

This article reminds me of my current science unit: evolution. What environmental factors prompted the Dunkleosteus to go extinct? What organisms today are closest in familial ancestry to the Dunkleosteus?

(MDPI)