By Courtney Cooper
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The Fascinating World of Extinct Sharks
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We all know of the famous Megalodon Shark, the largest shark to have ever lived, but what about other sharks that have gone extinct? This blog explores the fascinating world of extinct sharks. Using the teeth, scientists can determine extinct sharks’ anatomy, prey and where they lived. We also discuss further shark facts that you might be interested in! Apex Predators provides the best great white shark cage diving in Cape Town.
Introduction to Extinct Sharks
Cladoselache
The Cladoselache was one the first shark species to have ever lived. They lived in North America and Europe for over 100 million years. These sharks were much smaller and less muscular than today’s sharks. They measured around 4 feet long and had 7 gills (most sharks today have 5 gills). Their bodies were built for speed and contained little muscle. Today, we can find their fossil remains in rocks. Scientists believe these sharks went extinct 250 million years ago.
Stethacanthus
The Stethacanthus is one of the more odd-looking sharks. These sharks were small, measuring 3 feet long. They were believed to have a flat protrusion on the backs of the male sharks to use when mating with females. Due to the protrusion, they were unable to swim fast and hunt prey and were likely bottom feeders. They lived in North America, Asia and Europe and went extinct 300 million years ago.
Orthacanthus
This eel-looking shark lived in North America and Europe in fresh water. The Orthacanthus’ body was long and slim and had a sharp spike close to its head that may have been poisonous. The spike was used to fend off predators. The fresh waters they called home were full of greenery which made stealth hunting easier. They are believed to have gone extinct 260 million years ago.
Xenacanthus
The Xenacanthus was similar to the Orthacanthus, however, it was much smaller at 3 feet long. They lived around the same time as each other. They did not hunt the same prey however, the Xenacanthus hunted in areas that were harder to reach like small crevices. The Xenacanthus out lived the Orthacanthus and went extinct 200 million years ago. The below images shows their fossilized remain in rocks.
Edestus
This unique shark is also known as the scissor-tooth shark and is thought to have been a specialised hunter. They had sharp teeth like no other shark, all in one straight line from the back of the mouth all the way to the front. When new teeth were generated, the older teeth would move forward and protrude outside of the mouth. They went extinct about 300 million years ago, possibly due to their unique hunting technique.
Some of today’s sharks resemble the sharks that have gone extinct, for instance the Broadnose Sevengill Shark is one of the few sharks with more than 5 gills. The Goblin Shark also referred to as a living fossil, resembles extinct sharks and its family origin dates back to over 125 million years. Many sharks face extinction today and it’s up to us to protect them. We also discuss interesting facts about the most unique sharks around the world.
