In Depth Sclerorhynchus was in essence an ancient sawfish. The snout was long and specialised teeth projected out from the sides. This snout was probably the primary feeding aid in uncovering buried invertebrates like shell fish which could then be eaten by the mouth which was on the underside of the head. There has been … Read more
In Depth Hemipristis is a genus of weasel shark which includes the extinct species H. serra, H. curvatus and H. wyattdurhami, although the most popular species by far is H. serra. The last surviving member of the Hemipristis genus is H. elongata, better known as the Snaggletooth shark. H. serra seems to have been a … Read more
In Depth Palaeocarcharodon seems to have been one of the principal shark genera that appeared in the oceans after the Cretaceous that were now devoid of large marine reptiles. Palaeocarcharodon is often considered to be related to the large Cretaceous shark Cretoxyrhina, however it is the relationship to Carcharodon carcharias (the great white shark) and … Read more
In Depth Ptychodus was one of the most specialist sharks of the late Cretaceous oceans, as the teeth are adapted for crushing shells rather than tearing through flesh. As such the teeth are rounded rather than being triangular and pointed, and have a series of ridges that run across the surface of the crown. These … Read more
In Depth Cardabiodon is a genus of shark that is known to have lived during at least the Cenomanian and early Turonian periods of the late Cretaceous. First named from fossil teeth and vertebrae discovered in Australia, further examples are known from North America and Russia, as well as speculated in other locations. However, so … Read more
In Depth Although the Cretalamna shark genus is extinct today, there is no doubt that it was one of the most successful of all shark genera. Fossils of Cretalamna (mostly of teeth and vertebrae) are known from all over the world and range from the early Cretaceous to the mid Miocene in age, making Cretalamna one of the most widely distributed … Read more
In Depth Further Reading - Origin of the white shark Carcharodon (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) based on recalibration of the upper Neogene Pisco Formation of Peru - Palaeontology 55(6):1139-1153 - D. J. Ehret, B. J. MacFadden, D. S. Jones, T. J. DeVries, D. A. Foster & R. Salas-Gismondi. 2012.
In Depth Megalolamna is a genus of shark that lived during the Miocene period. So far only teeth of this shark have been found, but these are known from as far apart as Japan to Peru and even the states of California and North Carolina in the USA. These locations tell us that Megalolamna was … Read more
In Depth With a bulbous head, strongly arched back and dorsal fin that was so far back it sat near above the pelvic fins, Cobelodus was not a shark that was built for speed. Instead it may have cruised around near the bottom hunting for crustaceans and other invertebrates that did not require active pursuit. … Read more
In Depth An ancient ray, Spathobatis was actually similar to a guitarfish in form. The snout was slightly elongated which meant that it could be used to shovel through soft sediment like mud in order to uncover shellfish that had buried themselves for protection. Spathobatis is regarded as one of the earliest prehistoric rays, though … Read more