Incredible 23ft long 9-million-year-old ancestor of great white shark with huge flesh-tearing teeth discovered in Peru
In Peru, an incredible nine-million-year-old great white shark ancestor has been found.
The beast, which could reach the size of a small boat, was 23 feet long and had enormous teeth that tore through its prey.
Experts were astounded by how beautifully preserved the fossil of the shark that lived in the oceans millions of years ago was.
The renowned great white shark is thought to have descended from this shark.
According to the fossil, its teeth reached an incredible length of 8.9 cm.
In contrast, the great white shark can reach a maximum length of 2.9 inches.
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Adults are thought to reach a length of around 22.9 feet, or the size of a small boat.
On Monday, the nearly intact Cosmopolitodus Hastalis fossil was found in the Pisco basin of Peru, 146 miles south of Lima.
“There are not many complete shark (fossils) in the world,” stated palaeontologist Mario Urbina.
Sardines were probably the mainstay of the Cosmopolitodus Hastalis’ diet, Mario added.
This is because, during the time the shark was roaming the seas and oceans, anchovies had not yet been invented.
One of the main predators in its environment was probably the shark as well.
Toothmarks on the bones of a Pliocene dolphin belonging to the species Astadelphis gastaldii are among the fossil evidence that shows the Cosmopolitodus Hastalis attacked its prey from behind and below.
The way the great white shark does it today is a lot like this.
The shark swiftly delivered a lethal bite to the dolphin’s midsection, as evidenced by the deepest bite marks on its ribs.
The dolphin may have rolled over while hurt because it was bitten close to the dorsal fin when it was attacked a second time.
Peru is also well-known for its other recent marine life discoveries.
The remains of a juvenile crocodile that lived in the country’s center over 10 million years ago were on display by Peruvian palaeontologists in November.
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There were several significant variations between the animal’s appearance in the fossil and how we observe it now.
“This is the first time we have found a juvenile of this species, meaning it has not yet reached its maximum size,” stated Palaeontologist Mario Gamarra. Before then, it died.
They were piscivorous, meaning they only ate fish, and they had an extended snout.
“The closest current relative to this crocodile would be the Indian gharial.”
The snout of the Indian gharial is renowned for being incredibly long and thin.
The Peruvian regulatory authority of national palaeontology stated that these crocodiles may grow up to 29.5 feet in length when fully grown.
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The fossilized skull of the largest river dolphin ever discovered was on exhibit by researchers in April of last year.
About 16 million years ago, this dolphin lived in the Amazon.