Deep Within A Cave, Researchers Came Across Two Ancient Sharks That Lived 325 Million Years Ago, And We Never Knew About Them Before
Deep within a cave that was once submerged underwater, researchers discovered two new ancient shark species that lived around 325 million years ago.
The shark fossils had been preserved in what is now Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Mammoth Cave is known as the world’s longest cave system, covering over 400 miles of chambers and rock tunnels.
The two species have been identified as Troglocladodus trimblei and Glikmanius careforum. They are both ctenacanths, which are cousins of modern sharks with comb-like barbs on their spines that are used for defense purposes.
Ctenacanths first appeared in the fossil record about 380 million years ago and had large ornamented spines on their dorsal fins.
The fossil specimens were in excellent condition since they were protected from the elements within the walls of the cave.
A paleontologist at the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission named John-Paul Hodnett told Live Science that the shark teeth appear as if they “just came out of the shark’s mouth yesterday.”
It is believed that T. trimblei was 10 to 12 feet long and had teeth that resembled the prongs of a fork, which was why it was given the name Troglocladodus, meaning “cave-branching tooth.”
It was also named in honor of the superintendent at Mammoth Cave, Barclay Trimble, who found the specimen in 2019.
G. careforum was also about 10 to 12 feet long. It had a powerful bite that gave it the ability to feast on other sharks. According to Hodnett, the species behaved similarly to the lemon sharks or gray sharks of today.
willyam – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
Experts have been exploring the passageways of Mammoth Cave as part of the Paleontological Resource Inventory, a project that involves conducting a thorough survey of the fossil records located in various national parks across the U.S. After investigating Mammoth Cave, the researchers realized that it was rich with fossilized sharks.
T. trimblei was identified through adult and juvenile teeth in Mammoth Cave and the Bangor Formation in Alabama. Researchers reached the first specimen after crawling on their hands and knees for a quarter mile.
G. careforum was also identified through teeth from the Mammoth Cave and the Hartselle and Bangor formations.
Additionally, part of a set of jaws and gills were detected in a cave passageway. However, the space was too small for the researchers to fit through, and the fossils are currently still there in the cave.
Before the formation of the supercontinent Pangea, the two shark species would have hunted near shore in an ancient seaway that connected North America, Europe, and northern Africa. As Pangaea started to develop, the seaway disappeared.
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