In Depth Scapanorhynchus appears to have been so much like the living goblin shark (Mitsukurina owstoni) that the two were considered by some to be the same genus. However study of the teeth has brought the conclusion that while very similar, they are different enough to keep the two separated. The most striking feature of … Read more
In Depth Also known as the ‘Ginsu shark’, Cretoxyrhina was one of the biggest sharks of its time, considerably bigger even than its contemporary Squalicorax. Cretoxyrhina was near the top of the food chain, and it had a diet that included almost anything that was in front of it, including mosasaurs. There is also strong … Read more
In Depth Hybodus is instantly recognisable by the spike that rises up in front of its dorsal fins. The purpose of this has been explained as a form of defence from larger predators to display. With fossils dating back from the end of the Permian to the early Cretaceous and a cosmopolitan distribution, Hybodus must … Read more
In Depth Ornithoprion was a carboniferous shark that was also related to the sharks Edestus, perhaps better known as the Scissor toothed shark, and Helicoprion. In fact it was the discovery of Ornithoprion that allowed for a more accurate reconstruction of Helicoprion with how the distinctive tooth-whorl fitted inside the mouth. Further Reading – A … Read more