In Depth Not only was Orthacanthus very similar to the smaller Xenacanthus, it also has a similar temporal range in the fossil record. The two sharks probably coexisted with only the minimum of competition between the two. This is because at only one meter long, Xenacanthus could operate in waters that were too small or … Read more
Teeth and vertebra - The fossils of megalodon The teeth are by far the most common remains of C. megalodon with the larger teeth approaching 18 centimetres in height. It is uncertain for how long people have been collecting C. megalodon teeth, but it was not until 1667 that science recognised them as shark … Read more
In Depth Named in 2010, Akaimia has been interpreted as being similar to carpet sharks of the Orectolobidae (more commonly known as wobbegong sharks). If Akaimia lived like those carpet sharks today, then it would have lurked around the bottom where its colouration and patterning allowed them to blend in ‘out of sight’ of other … Read more
In Depth Sphenacanthus is a genus of xenacanthid shark that has a known temporal range stretching from the late Devonian period all the way to the late Permian. Sphenacanthus is believed to have been a freshwater shark that inhabited waterways and swamps were individuals likely hunted for fish, other smaller sharks and possibly amphibians such … Read more
In Depth Otodus was bigger than any other carnivorous fish in the sea today, being one and half times bigger than the largest recorded great white shark. This large size however does not mean that Otodus was an apex predator as it would have had to share the seas with other predators such as Basilosaurus, … Read more
In Depth Triodus was similar to other sharks such as Xenacanthus and Orthacanthus, and it too also seems to have lived in the freshwater swamps and waterways that covered much of ancient Europe and North America. Fossil evidence of Triodus shows that it actively pursued prey like juvenile amphibians (still in their larval stages, they … Read more
In Depth Also known as the Zechstein shark, Wodnika appears to have been very much like a modern day bullshark. In life Wodnika was a small shark that would have swam in the Zechstein Sea that covered much of northern Europe, where Wodnika likely patrolled near the bottom looking for prey like crustaceans. When found … Read more
In Depth Gladioserratus is an extinct genus of cow shark that is known to have first appeared near the middle of the Early Cretaceous. Further fossil discoveries have led to the realisation that species of Gladioserratus lived all the way to the end of the Cretaceous and into the Paleocene. There has also been speculation … Read more
In Depth Lonchidion is a genus of very successful hybodontid shark that lived for most of the Mesozoic. Most fossils attributed to Lonchidion are Cretaceous in age, though Jurassic and even Late Triassic fossils are also known. Also, while Lonchidion has been mostly associated with North America and Europe, fossils from Africa and Asia are … Read more