Fossils of a giant shark have been discovered near Darwin, Australia. This find includes five vertebrae that are about 115 million years old. The fossils belong to an ancient species of lamniform shark, similar to today’s great white and mako sharks.
These vertebrae are quite impressive. While modern great white sharks have vertebrae around 8 cm wide, the ones found in Darwin measure over 12 cm across. Experts believe that the shark was between 6 and 8 meters long and weighed more than 3 tons. This species is part of an extinct family called Cardabiodontidae, which swam in the oceans about 100 million years ago.
What makes this discovery particularly interesting is that these fossils predate all known Cardabiodontids by 15 million years. This suggests that large body sizes may have evolved much earlier than scientists once thought.
A study led by the Swedish Museum of Natural History published its findings in the journal Communications Biology. According to the researchers, this discovery provides new insights into the evolutionary history of sharks.
Sharks have a long history on our planet, dating back over 400 million years. They’ve adapted remarkably over time. Today’s sharks share traits with these ancient giants but have also evolved to become more versatile hunters.
This finding has sparked interest in social media, with many nature enthusiasts expressing excitement about the insights it brings into prehistoric marine life. Overall, these ancient fossils help piece together the story of our oceans and the incredible creatures that once roamed them.
For more on marine life and prehistoric discoveries, you can read the full study here.
