Tuesday 13 June 2017

Isro and Tata Motors jointly Developing India's first fuel cell bus.

Tata Motors and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) announced the launch of India's first hydrogen-powered automobile bus. The bus was put on display at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, an Isro facility in Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu on early June 2017. It's the culmination of a ten year research. 


It's a CNG-type bus that runs on hydrogen fuel, emitting no pollution. Hydrogen is stored in bottles at high pressure at the top of the bus. The hydrogen cells were a spin-off of the cryogenic technology that ISRO had developed a few years ago. ISRO has mastered space launch vehicle technology that involves producing, storing and handling gaseous and liquid hydrogen in the last three decades.
V Gnana Gandhi, honorary adviser of ISRO, led the technical team in this project. He said ISRO and the Tatas has signed an MoU in 2006 to design and develop an automobile bus using hydrogen as a fuel through fuel cell route. Mr. Gandhi said: "This is a leap for automobile industry for future transportation. In this vehicle there will be zero pollution since the product of cold combustion is water. This is a result of great team work of Tata Motors and ISRO specialists with contributions from DSIR (department of scientific and industrial research) and PESO (Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation)."
As hydrogen is emerging as leading contender for the ideal energy options of the future, the Union Government may make this mandatory for all new buses soon.

Thursday 1 June 2017


Meanwhile ISRO is preparing to launch it's monstrous rocket beast GSLV-Mk3 aka LVM3 on this 5th of June , 2017.

Hyderabad : Blog report on ISRO's GSLV-Mark3 or LVM3

GSLV Mk III - D1/GSAT19 Mission is scheduled to be launched on June 05, 2017 at 17:28 Hrs(IST) from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota, Nellore , Andhra Pradesh, India.

The countdown is about to begin on This sunday for the launch of GSLV - Mark III on June 5, ISRO indicates that it is the first possible human-rated vehicle with its complex yet robust design features for future manned mission, technology and unique shape to check noise.

"The critical technology of GSLV Mk III to carry heavy payload capacity, the vehicle design with acoustic suppression system would facilitate future manned missions to space. But, we prefer not to talk about manned mission now when it is yet to be approved by the GOI ," ISRO chairman AS Kiran Kumar quoted.

The focus of this first developmental flight of GSLV-MK III (D1) set for launch on June 5 is to put a heavy weight communication satellites like GSAT-19 of 3.2 tons in geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO),GSLV Mk III is actually capable of putting 4 ton class satellites into GTO and future machines will achieve that, he said.

This fat boy is equipped with a made in India cryogenic engine of an advanced version of 20 plus ton thrust. Previously, four consecutive GSLV launches with indigenous cryogenic engine of a different version were successful, he said.

The former space port of India , Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) director K Sivan told that now this GSLV-MK III launch is a big fat vehicle launch with its design is capable to put four ton class heavy satellite in orbit. From the earlier cone shaped launch vehicle, here it is Ojive shaped and the strap-on boosters are slanted rather than the usual straight format, it is to lessen noise. It could help in future manned mission, he said.

The Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) director S Somnath also told that "GSLV-MK III is a possible human-rated launch vehicle by virtue of its design features including its simple module, its technology for lesser propulsion system, lesser accelerator levels, lesser dynamic pressure load and lesser noise or benign acoustic levels" Further, it has more redundancy which means that if an electronic part fails other part will take over the task to propel the vehicle forward, he said.

It may be noted that the term `human-rated' certifies a spacecraft, launch vehicle or airplane as worthy of transporting humans.

GSLV project director G Ayyappan also indicated that it is for the first time that a launch vehicle is designed with Ogive shaped curvature to able to control the air pressure and to check noise with its acoustic suppression system. Conceived in 2002 at a total project cost of Rs 2900 crore, the GSLV-MK III will be fitted with a fully indigenous cryogenic engine of 20 ton thrust with 28 ton propellant loading, LPSC scientists said.

This cryogenic engine has 2.5 times more thrust than the previous cryogenic engine with 12 ton thrust. Similarly, this launch will have 2.46 times more thrust with two solid motors and 2.1 times more thrust of liquid boosters with 116 tons of liquid propellants loaded as against the earlier 40 tons, VSSC scientists said.

Saturday 12 November 2016


The First Look And The Specifications Of The Nokia C1 Android Handset!


When was the last time when any of you used a Nokia handset? We know it’s been quite some time! But for those of you who have been thinking about where is ‘Nokia’… we have good news. According to recent reports, Nokia is returning to the smartphone market. Microsoft recently announced it’s offloading of Nokia’s old feature phone business to a Foxconn subsidiary and a Finnish company called HMD Global Oy.

It has been revealed by Nokia that HMD is also acquiring the rights to use the Nokia name on smartphones and tablets for the next ten years. This means, the day is not far when we will see Nokia branded smartphones and tablets run on Adnroid.

According to statement from HMD, it plans to invest $500 million over the next three years to develop and promote products. The money will supposedly come from investors and from profits from the newly-acquired feature phone business. Though it has been made clear that Nokia’s involvement in the new devices will be very limited, it will be a part of HMD’s board and will set mandatory brand requirements and performance related provisions

According to anticipation, the expected name of the Nokia’s forthcoming Android model would be Nokia C1. Below is the rumored specification. Please keep it in mind that the specifications are purely speculative.

Nokia is doing this to ensure that quality handsets are released because it is the goodwill of Nokia that will be at stake if the devices are inferior. FIH Mobile, the Foxconn subsidiary will be the manufacturer of the new HMD smartphones and tablets. The agreement includes HMD’s access to Nokia’s vast arsenal of mobile patents. As to when will we get to see the Nokia handsets and tablets and with what version of Android, that is still under wraps.

As a technology lover you may like this post and many more to come

Post Credit : www.technologyvista.in

Tuesday 8 November 2016

Kakes N Krisps Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Here is my review on Kakes n Krisps

There are some delicious items this bakery has to offer and the look of the place was quite good. Once i placed an order worth over 1500, i got it in time and the quality was good but comparatively it was a bit costly, The value for money is high and the taste of the cake & snack was good

Monday 12 September 2016

My Next Post is on Title of This Blog

"Vikriti Evam Prakriti" 

a Sanskrit Verse Which means "Unnatural is also Natural"

Tuesday 12 January 2016

Top 5 Websites To Learn How To Hack Like A Pro

You might be surprised to learn just how many people want to learn how to hack. The stereotype is that of the young college guy – a computer science major for sure – who spends his evenings and weekends writing up intricate hacking scripts to break into whatever computer system he can get his hands on.
The truth is that what was once a male-dominated community is fast changing into one that includes folks – men and women – from many walks of life, from many countries and with many backgrounds. A recent CNET article about DEFCON makes note of the fact that claims of sexual harassment and unwanted advances are increasing. This isn’t because hackers are getting more obnoxious or offensive, but because more female hackers are entering into the community and trying to find a home there, only to find insulting behavior, and other actions unbecoming of a gentleman.
This is the natural evolution of such communities, and in time the scales will balance and men and women will hack side by side – but when searching for places to go online to learn how to hack, it’s important to remember that because demographics and the world itself is changing, what you’ll find at most of the hacker websites are also changing significantly as well. Platforms in use are shifting from computer-based to more mobile and tablet hacking efforts, there’s much greater emphasis on social networks and the many hacks that are possible there, and all of the other new technologies and hacker tools available. The sites that keep up with these changing times will survive, while those that are stuck in the decades-old mentality of hackerdom-gone-by are doomed to fail.

Where You Can Go To Learn How To Hack Like a Pro

There’s a caveat that I have to share before diving into these sites. Hacking isn’t a single subject that anyone can pick up overnight. In the title of this article, I mention hacking like a pro. This can not be accomplished after reading one article and visiting a few of these sites – the phrase is used to imply that in time and with lots of practice, you can in fact learn to hack like a pro.
For our many readers that are already at that expert-hacker level, a few of these sites may not be for you. They may feel to simple and basic – for “script-kiddies” as some might say. The truth is, we all had to start somewhere, and these websites are offered as a starting point for those people just embarking down the wrote toward hackerdom.
Your intention for learning how to hack is completely your own. I do not judge. However, it should be noted that there are two forms of hacking – “white hat” and “black hat”.  White hat hackers call themselves “ethical hackers”, in that they find vulnerabilities simply to make systems and applications more secure for everyone. However, there’s a whole other community of hackers – the black hats – who find vulnerabilities only to exploit them as much as possible. Now that you know what sort of community you may be entering, let’s get on with the list of top sites where you can learn to hack.

#1 – Hacking Tutorial: Tech Tips and Hacking Tricks

Sometimes, perfect English isn’t everything. Hacking Tutorial is an example of when the writing skill of the author doesn’t necessarily equate to the quality of his or her technical knowledge. This is actually the case over at Hacking Tutorial, where the author offers articles like “Client Side Attack Using Adobe PDF Escape EXE Social Engineering”, “Exploiting MS11_003 Internet Explorer Vulnerability”, and “Hacking Using BeeF XSS Framework”.
howtohack1
The articles are usually short, but actually offer highly technical, step-by-step instructions on how to do the task at hand, and the tricks and tweets absolutely work, unless the exploit has been patched.  It’s a small blog, but it’s a good one for the volume of technical tricks that you’ll find there.

#2 – EvilZone Hacking Forums

While the name, EvilZone, isn’t exactly the most inviting – it is easily one of the largest forum communities that you’ll find on the subject of hacking. With over 13,042 members and over 50,000 posts (and counting), this community likely has the skills and knowledge to answer any programming question you could possibly have. Just be careful about coming across as a “noob” – these guys don’t handle newcomers with kid gloves, so be careful.
howtohack2
You’d definitely be best off working through the programming and encyclopedia sections first, where you’ll find areas with projects, tutorials and a lot more that will help you become educated and well-versed in hacking techniques and terminology.

#3 – Hack a Day

While I certainly don’t want to offer a nod to any blogs that may be considered competition, you really have to give credit where credit is due when it comes to a particular niche like hacking – and Hack a Day definitely offers an amazing library of information for anyone looking for specific categories like cellphones, GPS or digital cameras. Over the years, Hack A Day has transformed the site into a fairly popular blog.
howtohack3
More than any other site, this particular “hacking” site is very much hardware based, and they redefine the meaning of the word hacking by helping you learn how to hack up electronic devices like a Gameboy or a digital camera and completely modifying it, or building electronics for the sole purpose of hacking other commercial devices. You’ll also find a popular and busy forum section as well – a high point of the site.
howtohack4
While I personally don’t find the articles themselves very detailed (as an EE, I like schematics and elaborate descriptions), the site makes up for it with video demonstrations throughout.

#4 – Hack In The Box

Hack In The Box has really change significantly through the years. It is rebranded as HITB, and the site is completely transformed into what looks like a WordPressed-based platform. Still, today Hack In The Box remains focused on security and ethical hacking. However, it has obviously shifted gears at some point and changed to a more content-focused approach with a greater volume of news, and fewer in-depth articles with detailed hacks.
howtohack5
This transition makes it less of a place to go for actually technical hacking tips, and more of a daily spot to get your latest fix of hacking news. The site is updated frequently, and of course you can also go for the print version of the HITB-branded magazine if you want.
howtohack6
Clearly, HITB has gone very commercialized, but it is a great resource for news for anyone interested in the latest gossip throughout the hacking community.

#5 – Hack This Site!

As always, saving the best for last – I’d like to introduce Hack This Site! This website is one of the coolest, free programmer training sites where you can learn how to hack accepting one of the challenges along the left navigation pane of the main page.
howtohack7
The site designers offer various “missions,” where you need to figure out the vulnerability of a site and then attempt to use your new-found hacking skills (you’ve carefully studied all of the articles on the site, right?) to hack the web page. Missions include Basic, Realistic, Application, Programming and many others.
download free hack software
If you’re able to figure out how to properly hack any of the most difficult missions on this site, then you’ve definitely earned the title of professional hacker.
Have you ever tried any of the tips offered at any of these websites and do they work? Do you have any good resources of your own for readers to learn how to hack like the pros? Share your insight in the comments section below.


All about sharks, The strange and terrifying 



world of prehistoric sharks.





Since first appearing at least 420 million years ago, sharks have undergone many strange and sometimes terrifying changes to evolve into the sharks we know today.

Do you know ??

Interactive Timeline of shark evolution : sharks are among earth's oldest lifeforms, having appeared at least 420 million years ago - nearly 200 million years before the first dinosaurs. Trace the evolution of sharks. Pre historic sharks were really weird.





How do experts know about prehistoric sharks ??




Palaeontologists study fossilized bones to learn how creatures evolved. But sharks don’t have bones; they have cartilage, which dissolves quickly in ocean water. Luckily, after some sharks died, their bodies lay on rocks, leaving a fossilized impression on the rocks. Studying these gives good clues about shark evolution.

So, how exactly did sharks evolve over time? Some were born with features that made them better able to survive. A shark with a useful feature would pass along that feature to its offspring. Over millions of years, this happened from generation to generation. Sharks with superior features reproduced rapidly and sharks without those features died off because they could not compete successfully for food and mates.

One example of this can be found in the special way shark jaws work. Scientists believe that the first sharks with jaws that were not fused to their heads appeared about 200 million years ago. This gave them the ability to thrust their jaws forward and catch prey efficiently. Today, many sharks have this feature.

Do you know ??

Early sharks had smooth skin and couldn't thrust their jaw forward


When sharks first appeared, at least 420 million years ago, they were not quite like the sharks we know today. Like modern sharks, they had a skeleton made of cartilage. They had triangular fins, gills and pointed teeth. But they lacked a few key shark traits.

One of the most well-known early sharks, Cladoselache, lived 370 million years ago. Unlike today’s sharks, it could not thrust its upper jaw forward when attacking. Like other sharks of its time – and most animals – Cladoselache ’s jaw was entirely fused to its head. This restricted the size of the food it could suck in and eat. It was not until sharks evolved the ability to unhinge their upper jaw – sometime during the Jurassic period, 201 to 145 million years ago – that they started to take on larger prey, eventually growing to massive size.

Cladoselache had another odd early shark trait: smooth skin. Unlike modern sharks, which are covered in tooth-like scales called dermal denticles, Cladoselache was virtually naked. A shark’s denticles not only protect it from injury, they reduce drag in the water and strengthen the skin to provide firmer attachment for swimming muscles. But this did not seem to slow down Cladoselache; it was a high-speed predator with a keeled, crescent-shaped tail fin similar to today’s turbo-charged macho sharks.

Did you know ??


A weird ancient shark looked like it had a hairbrush sticking out of its back.

Stethacanthus – a fast-swimming shark that lived around 320 million years ago – was a very odd-looking fish. It had an enormous, flat-topped dorsal fin bristling with enlarged scales; together, they gave Stethacanthus the appearance of having a hairbrush sticking out of its back. Even the top of its head was covered in bristle-toothed scales.

But what were these for? Perhaps they were defensive, the brushy fin and cranial bristles looking like the jaws of a far larger predator. It seems more likely, though, that they played some role in courtship rituals. Females may have chosen males with the biggest dorsal brush, or perhaps males used these to push against one another in vigorous battles over mating rights.

Stethacanthus is also one of the earliest examples of a shark with dermal denticles – tooth like scales that cover the skin. These scales prevent injury, reduce drag in the water and strengthen the skin to provide firmer attachment for swimming muscles. Earlier sharks had smooth skin, but all modern sharks have denticles like Stethacanthus.



But what were these for? Perhaps they were defensive, the brushy fin and cranial bristles looking like the jaws of a far larger predator. It seems more likely, though, that they played some role in courtship rituals. Females may have chosen males with the biggest dorsal brush, or perhaps males used these to push against one another in vigorous battles over mating rights.

Stethacanthus is also one of the earliest examples of a shark with dermal denticles – tooth like scales that cover the skin. These scales prevent injury, reduce drag in the water and strengthen the skin to provide firmer attachment for swimming muscles. Earlier sharks had smooth skin, but all modern sharks have denticles like Stethacanthus.

Megalodon was one of the largest predators ever lived on earth.

WHAT DID MEGALODON LOOK LIKE ?

No one’s really sure what megalodon looked like – all that remains of this prehistoric monster are teeth and a few vertebrae. But these allow palaeontologists to take a fairly educated guess. Tap or click on hotspots for more information.

A SUPER-SIZED SAND TIGER?

Some palaeontologists cast doubt on the whole idea of comparing Megalodon to great whites. Megalodon evolved from an earlier giant shark called Otodus, which had teeth like a sand tiger. Could this mean that Megalodon might have looked more like a sand tiger shark on steroids? We’ll never know for sure.


NO LONGER LIVING

While it’s frighteningly fun to imagine that Megalodon might still be out there, scientists are positive that this monster shark is no longer around. The fossil record for Megalodon extends from 15.9 to 2.6 million years ago. Our ancient cousin, Homo habilis, coexisted with Megalodon but probably never laid eyes on it.

THE GREAT WHITE MODEL



It makes sense to use the great white as a model for what Megalodon might have looked like – their teeth are close to the same shape. Most scientists imagine Megalodon as a super-sized great white with a few subtle differences



PECTORAL FINS





It’s commonly accepted that Megalodon had proportionally larger pectoral fins than a great white. Its air plane-like fins helped support the weight of the shark’s enormous jaws and robust head

BODY SIZE

How massive was Megalodon? Scientists have been debating this for years. Early models placed its length at around 80 feet, but careful analysis of how tooth enamel height compares to body length in great whites (which scientists use as a model for Megalodon) brought this ancient nightmare’s size down to half that.

It was later discovered that this comparison only holds true for great whites up to 16 feet in length, after which their tooth enamel stops growing. If Megalodon teeth worked the same way, how large this massive shark got is truly anyone’s guess. Scientists now conservatively estimate that it grew to 52 feet, with a possible maximum length of 59 feet, and that it weighed 40 tons or more

JAWS





Many of us have seen Megalodon jaws hanging in museums, but these are replicas; their fossilized jaws have never been found. Scientists reconstruct what this ancient shark’s jaws might have looked like by using great white jaws as a model. The conclusion: Megalodon had absolutely massive, over-sized jaws that spanned at least 6 to 7 feet across. It’s calculated that its jaws packed a 24,400 to 41,000-pound bite force – the strongest of any animal ever recorded

TEETH




Hundreds of Megalodon tooth fossils have been found, dating all the way back to the 1600s. Most are 3 to 5 inches, with some reaching over 7 inches in length. Megalodon teeth look like huge,puffed up, blackish triangles with a bulbous root. They have a rough exterior that gets smoother at the tooth’s finely serrated edges (there are about 50 serrations per inch along the edges).

HEAD AND SNOUT





Some scientists think that Megalodon may have had a broader, more domed head than a great white. Its snout may have been shorter and more blunted, and it’s possible that its eyes were set a bit lower on its head compared to the white shark

ANYONE'S GUESS

In 1996, scientists Michael Gottfried, Leonard Compagno, and S. Curtis Bowman discovered that tooth enamel height actually stops growing when a white shark reaches about 16 feet, so it’s not an effective model for the largest individuals. If Megalodon teeth worked the same way, how large this massive shark got is truly anyone’s guess

CALCULATING SIZE

Ichthyologist John E. Randall discovered a correlation between the great white’s largest upper teeth and the height of its jaws, as well as the enamel height of its teeth and its body length. Using these ratios as a model, Megalodon teeth can reveal the size of the shark’s massive jaws and the length of its body

DID YOU KNOW?

Fossil sharks' teeth can tell us a surprising amount of information about prehistoric sharks, from where they lived to what they ate to how large they were. Shark’s teeth are the most abundant type of shark fossil, in part because sharks shed thousands throughout their lifetime, and in part because they fossilize comparatively easily.

To become a fossil, a tooth must be buried in sediment rather quickly. This protects it from weathering and abrasion, and limits its exposure to oxygen and bacteria – the agents of decay. In a process called permineralization, water seeps through sediments and over the tooth, depositing minerals in the tooth’s pores. This slow process, which can take many thousands of years, transforms the tooth into a fossil.


Why don’t we find shark skeletons in the fossil record? We do find bits and pieces, but rarely. A shark’s skeleton is made of cartilage, which does not mineralize to the extent that bone does and breaks down much quicker. Shark scales and vertebrae are more commonly found – both are prone to calcification – but in nowhere near the same numbers as teeth.Luckily, sharks' teeth can tell us lots about the past. A recent discovery, for example, indicates that sharks may be able to adapt to climate change. Thousands of sharks' teeth dating back to the Eocene (56 to 34 million years ago) were found in the Canadian Arctic. An analysis showed that these sharks (extinct sand tigers) lived in a relatively warm Arctic sea with very low salinity – practically freshwater. Meanwhile, their modern-day relatives prefer salt water. This finding suggests that at least some sharks could potentially adapt to the rising temperatures and decreased salinity that scientists expect to see in the Arctic of the future.

A group of very tough sharks that first appeared around 300 million years ago miraculously survived the world’s biggest extinction event (the Permian-Triassic) to live and flourish alongside the dinosaurs. These devil-horned sharks were called hybodonts.

Hybodonts had wickedly sharp teeth and head spikes that gave them a devilish appearance. Their hook-shaped head spikes may have served as defense, but just as likely could have existed to “turn on” members of the opposite sex, much like deer antlers.

They also had a blunt head, a curious ridge between the eyes and a well-developed spine on both the front and back of their dorsal fins.

Hybodonts were similar to today’s bullheads, and, like bullheads, they had different kinds of teeth – sharp canines at the front of their mouths for biting and flat molars at the sides for grinding. They spent their days hunting small fish, squid and other sea life along shallow coastal waters. They disappeared with the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago.







DID YOU KNOW?

SOME PREHISTORIC SHARKS SPORTED DEVILISH HEAD SPIKES

DID YOU KNOW?

LONG-SNOUTED BABY SHARKS THRIVED IN THE OLDEST KNOWN SHARK NURSERY




They were called bandringa. These tiny, 4- to 6-inch-long baby sharks lived 310 million years ago along a tropical coastline in what is now northeastern Illinois. The paleontologists who recently discovered the nursery – the earliest-known shark nursery containing fossils of both young sharks and eggs – are Lauren Sallan and Michael Coates of the University of Michigan.

“Bandringa had a head entirely covered in large spines, a long paddle-like rostrum (snout) with electroreceptors, and one of the earliest jaws capable of protruding and suction feeding,” Sallan told Discovery News. Resembling a modern-day sawfish or paddlefish, bandringas are among the earliest closest relatives of all modern sharks.

What’s also interesting about this find is that it’s the earliest-known example of shark migration and “the earliest evidence for segregation, meaning that juveniles and adults were living in different locations,” Sallan said. Adult bandringas, which could grow to 10 feet in length, migrated downstream from freshwater swamps in what is now Ohio and Pennsylvania to the prehistoric coastline to spawn.


DID YOU KNOW?

A GODZILLA-LIKE SHARK TERRORIZED THE ANCIENT OCEANS OF PRESENT-DAY NEW MEXICO

The Godzilla shark, which lived 300 million years ago, was a monster compared to other fish of its time. Measuring seven to nine feet in length, it dwarfed the other fish of its locality, most of which were just shy of seven inches on average, with the largest not quite a foot and a half.

In describing the shark to Discovery News, independent palaeontologist John Paul-Hodnett said it possessed a number of Godzilla-like physical features. Like Godzilla’s back spines, its dorsal fin spines were huge compared to the rest of its body. It had broad, short, sharp teeth like Godzilla, and unlike the long, needle-like teeth of other sharks of the time period. Its body was covered in coarse dermal denticles, giving it almost a reptilian look and feel.


And it was simply huge compared to other creatures found at the locality – an ancient sea in what is today the Monzano Mountains east of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It remains unclear whether Godzilla shark, which belonged to a genus of Carboniferous sharks called Ctenacanths, destroyed any ancient fish cities during its reign of terror.

DID YOU KNOW?

ANCIENT SHARK POOP CAN TELL US A LOT ABOUT PREHISTORIC SHARKS

DID YOU KNOW?

MEGALODON, THE LARGEST SHARK THAT EVER LIVED, FED ON PREHISTORIC WHALES




The king of all sharks, Megalodon, first appeared 15.9 million years ago. One of the largest and most powerful predators in vertebrate history, Megalodon specialized in eating whales and other large sea creatures. Over the years, many fossilized whale bones have been found with signs of bite marks from teeth that match Megalodon ’s massive choppers, which could grow to over 7 inches in length.


Recent findings are shedding light on Megalodon ’s whale hunting strategies. In the late 1990 s, palaeontologist Dr. Bretton Kent examined the remains of a 30-foot long prehistoric baleen whale that was attacked by a Megalodon, discovering that the “monster shark” was far more aggressive in its attack style than the great white.

Megalodon ’s attack focused on the tough bony portions of its prey, such as the shoulders, front flippers, rib cage and upper spine, which great whites tend to avoid. Its teeth were large and robust and its jaws were massive; together, they packed a 24,400 to 41,000-pound bite force – the strongest ever recorded. While great whites prefer to hit their victims from below and then retreat while they bleed out, Megalodon clamped down and crushed its victim’s bones and the delicate organs harboured within. An ancient whale – its rib cage pulverized and its heart and lungs ruptured from the powerful bite – would die quickly from its injuries.


But this was not Megalodon ’s only attack strategy. Fossil evidence shows a variety of hunting techniques, from ripping apart and biting off fins in order to immobilize prey, to attacking small whales from below, perhaps similarly to the Polaris attacks displayed by the great whites of South Africa.


When it was not chowing down on whales, Megalodon also fed on seals, sea lions, giant sea turtles, sea cows, dolphins, porpoises, and other large creatures before going extinct 2.6 million years ago.



A group of very tough sharks that first appeared around 300 million years ago miraculously survived the world’s biggest extinction event (the Permian-Triassic) to live and flourish alongside the dinosaurs. These devil-horned sharks were called hybodonts.

Hybodonts had wickedly sharp teeth and head spikes that gave them a devilish appearance. Their hook-shaped head spikes may have served as defence, but just as likely could have existed to “turn on” members of the opposite sex, much like deer antlers.

They also had a blunt head, a curious ridge between the eyes and a well-developed spine on both the front and back of their dorsal fins.

Hybodonts were similar to today’s bullheads, and, like bullheads, they had different kinds of teeth – sharp canines at the front of their mouths for biting and flat molars at the sides for grinding. They spent their days hunting small fish, squid and other sea life along shallow coastal waters. They disappeared with the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago.

They were called bandringa. These tiny, 4- to 6-inch-long baby sharks lived 310 million years ago along a tropical coastline in what is now north eastern Illinois. The palaeontologists who recently discovered the nursery – the earliest-known shark nursery containing fossils of both young sharks and eggs – are Lauren Sallan and Michael Coates of the University of Michigan.

“Bandringa had a head entirely covered in large spines, a long paddle-like rostrum (snout) with electro-receptors, and one of the earliest jaws capable of protruding and suction feeding,” Sallan told Discovery News. Resembling a modern-day saw fish or paddle fish, bandringas are among the earliest closest relatives of all modern sharks.

What’s also interesting about this find is that it’s the earliest-known example of shark migration and “the earliest evidence for segregation, meaning that juveniles and adults were living in different locations,” Sallan said. Adult bandringas, which could grow to 10 feet in length, migrated downstream from freshwater swamps in what is now Ohio and Pennsylvania to the prehistoric coastline to spawn.

The 70 million-year-old fossilized poop of a baby Squalicorax. Several tiny turtle vertebrae were found inside.

Yes, sharks poop, and scientists study that poop to learn a wealth of information about sharks including what they eat and what lives inside them.

A 70 million-year-old baby shark dropping recently revealed a wealth of information to palaeontologists. The pint-sized predator had eaten a newborn turtle and then died, perhaps unable to digest the shell. The baby shark was likely a Squalicorax kaupi, or crow shark, meaning it could have grown to 16 feet in length had it survived. The turtle was a freshwater species, suggesting that the newborn shark emerged from a pupping ground in a tidal estuary, where the ocean meets inland river systems.

An even older piece of shark poop recently revealed that intestinal parasites have been plaguing animals for far longer than previously thought. The fossilized dung, dated to 270 million years ago, contained a cluster of 93 oval-shaped tapeworm eggs. These pre date other known examples of intestinal parasites in vertebrates by 140 million years.