Luke Schwenk ’25 recently had research based on his St. Mary’s Project published in the peer-reviewed journal Palaeontologia Electronica.
The article, “On the cutting edge: Otodus megalodon strengthened tooth edges through zinc incorporation in enameloid,” centers on his senior thesis, investigating the spatial distribution of zinc across the enameloid (equivalent to enamel on our teeth) of fossilized megalodon teeth.
Schwenk, along with SMCM co-authors Victor Perez (visiting assistant professor), Geoffrey Bowers (associate professor) and Calvert Marine Museum’s Steven Godfrey (paleontology curator), discovered that areas of Otodus megalodon shark teeth have high amounts of zinc on the areas of their teeth that experience high stress during feeding - namely the cutting edges and tooth tip. This is something they did not observe in teeth from the mega shark’s ancestors in the Odotus lineage, which likely ate mostly fish.
The paper suggests that zinc incorporation in the enameloid reinforced the high-stress areas of the mega shark’s teeth as a result of the shift in diet toward mammals with tougher tissue and bone, and thus may have evolved over time.
Schwenk, a five-time All-American swimmer and national champion in the 50-yard freestyle while at St. Mary’s College, first took an interest in undergraduate research at the suggestion of Bowers, his professor and mentor.
“I joined Dr. Bowers’ research group and began researching the chemistry of fossil shark tooth enameloid,” he said. “I immediately fell in love with the subject and began fossil hunting relentlessly at the nearby Calvert Cliffs in my limited free time, building a large collection of fossil shark teeth.”
Schwenk presented his thesis as his St. Mary’s Project (SMP), a signature capstone experience at St. Mary’s College. His work on the project earned him the Myron G. Marlay Award for Science. Established in 1999 by Maggie and Mike Marlay, this award recognizes students with outstanding St. Mary's Projects in the field of science. Schwek was also interviewed on his work for a segment on Fox 5 DMV Zone.
After completing his undergraduate degree at St. Mary’s College, Schwenk continued his education at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, where he is pursuing a Master of Science degree in paleobiology before returning to the United States, where he plans to pursue a Ph.D. in that field.
