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Photos Enamel Tells the Tale
When considered with other "goblin shark of Texas" finds, scientists concluded this species largely ate fish and that the Alabama individual swam alongside relatives of megalodon, an enormous shark that could grow to 43 feet in length. Shell-crushing sharks, a large marine reptile known as a mosasaur and tons of mollusks also lived alongside the shark, which was an ancestor to today's goblin sharks. "The modern goblin shark has a bizarre appearance and is rather prehistoric-looking, with an elongated rostrum (snout), protruding jaws and a long tail fin," said Becker. The prehistoric Southern shark died out during the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs around 65 million years ago. Kenshu Shimada, an associate professor in the Environmental Science Program and the Department of Biological Sciences at DePaul University, describes the new findings as significant. Shimada explained that the age of a specimen can deviate "by as much as 52 million years" depending on what part of a fossil is studied. He added that tooth enamel "gives more consistent and reliable" data than other tissues that have been previously studied. Becker, who began his academic career after very close encounters with multiple sharks while working as a commercial clammer, hopes to further investigate the past and present sharks of the American coastline.
Jennifer Viegas' blog: Born Animal |
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