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Before megalodon, researchers say a monstrous shark ruled ancient Australian seas
Giant lamniform sharks were already dominant mega-predators 115 million years ago, 15 million years earlier than previously known, researchers say.
- Researchers identified huge vertebrae found on a beach near Darwin as the earliest known mega-predator of the modern shark lineage that prowled Northern Australia’s waters during the Cretaceous period.
- Because shark skeletons are cartilaginous and often lost to time, vertebrae provide rare, direct evidence and size clues that help researchers reassess when lamniforms became apex predators.
- The team measured and modeled the fossils, noting the five vertebrae were rediscovered museum specimens and used fisheries data, CT scans and mathematical models to reconstruct size and shape.
- The study suggests modern sharks reached apex roles early, and authors recommend scouring fossil-rich seafloor environments worldwide to find more specimens from Cretaceous marine ecosystems.
- In broader terms, the work informs methods used to estimate extinct giants, linking analyses to megalodon size estimates near 56 feet and helping researchers understand species' responses to change, Benjamin Kear of the Swedish Museum of Natural History said.
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Associated Press News+22 Reposted by 22 other sources
Before megalodon, researchers say a monstrous shark ruled ancient Australian seas
Researchers have dated vertebrae from a massive prehistoric shark thought to have ruled the waves off northern Australia back to further in the Cretaceous period than was previously known.
·United States
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Discovery of giant shark vertebrae in northern Australia reveals a 115-million-year-old ancient marine predator, predating known giant sharks and indicating that modern sharks rose to the top of the food chain earlier than expected
·Israel
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Total News Sources24
Leaning Left8Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Left, 42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources lean Left, 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 42%
C 42%
R 16%
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