Overview
- The peer-reviewed analysis in Communications Biology examined five fossil vertebrae recovered in northern Australia and dated them to the Early Cretaceous, about 115 million years ago.
- Based on vertebral measurements, the shark is estimated at roughly 6 to 8 meters in length, placing it well within the range of giant pelagic predators.
- The specimen predates megalodon by roughly 15 million years, pushing back the timeline for the rise of truly large sharks.
- Visible growth rings in the vertebrae enabled estimates of age and growth rate, a rare opportunity given that shark skeletons are mostly cartilage and seldom fossilize.
- Researchers interpret the animal as likely outside the lineage that produced megalodon and plan targeted fieldwork in Australia to find more fossils and refine shark evolutionary history.