US EditionAncient Sea Monster Found to Be Evolutionary Oddball
New research shows Dunkleosteus had a cartilage-heavy skull and shark-like jaw muscles, revising its evolutionary role as an unusual arthrodire apex predator.
- Filling a 90-year gap, an international team led by Case Western Reserve University published new anatomical findings on Dunkleosteus terrelli in The Anatomical Record, revealing it as an evolutionary oddball among arthrodires.
- After nearly a century of limited anatomical rework, researchers returned to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History collection because black shale deposits preserved exceptionally complete Dunkleosteus fossils.
- Researchers found nearly half of Dunkleosteus terrelli’s skull was cartilage, identified a bony channel for a facial jaw muscle like sharks and rays, and confirmed paired bone blades replaced teeth.
- The study places Dunkleosteus terrelli more accurately in arthrodire evolution, showing these fishes were diverse and occupied varied ecological roles, transforming paleontological views on Devonian ecology.
- Casts of Dunkleosteus terrelli’s skull and mouthparts are on display in museums worldwide, making it a public icon since its 1860s discovery, while Cleveland, Ohio produced a bonanza of fossils.
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11 Articles
Cleveland’s famous sea monster gets a scientific update
Since its discovery in the 1860s, Dunkleosteus terrelli has captivated scientists and the public alike, becoming one of the most recognizable prehistoric animals. Casts of its bony-plated skull and imposing mouthparts can be seen on display in museums around the world. Despite its fame, this ancient predator has remained scientifically neglected for nearly a century. Now an international team of researchers led by Case Western Reserve…
Cleveland's famous sea monster gets a scientific update
About 360 million years ago, the shallow sea above present-day Cleveland was home to a fearsome apex predator: Dunkleosteus terrelli. This 14-foot armored fish ruled the Late Devonian seas with razor-sharp bone blades instead of teeth, making it among the largest and most ferocious arthrodires—an extinct group of shark-like fishes covered in bony armor across their head and torso.
Dunkleosteus - Hunting Prehistoric Monsters in the Cleveland Metroparks
Dragged silently downward by the weight of its armored head, the Dunkleosteus terrelli’s lifeless body disappeared into a murky cloud rising from the sea floor. A death shroud of mud and freshly deposited sediment encased the remains. As the body disintegrated in the stagnant oxygen-starved environment, organic chemicals were released into the surrounding ooze and triggered the formation of a casing around the decomposing matter. Sediments con…
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