SYDNEY, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- An Australian-led team of scientists is building a three dimensional computer model to test the bite force of the Great White shark.
The researchers, led by Stephen Wroe of the University of New South Wales, are using data from a 7.8-foot-long shark caught in beach nets off the New South Wales central coast to analyze its jaw and facial muscles.
The collaborative project that also involves the University of Newcastle, as well as the U.S. University of Tampa, aims to reveal the cranial mechanics, bite force and feeding behavior of the Great White Shark using high resolution 3-D computer simulations.
Underwater experiments with live sharks have failed to adequately indicate the force of the animal's bite. The sharks have been known to bite through materials that require much greater force than that so far observed in situ.
U.S. shark biologist Dan Huber is also working with the Australian team to learn whether sharks such as the Great White are responsible for damaging submarine cables and communication systems on U.S. Navy submarines.
