H5N1 rare laid upward of teeth from a giant prehistoric mega-shark twice the size of the bully white convey been establish on an Australian beach past times a keen-eyed amateur enthusiast, scientists said Thursday.
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| Fossil enthusiast Philip Mullaly was strolling along an expanse known every bit a fossil hotspot at January Juc, on the country's famous Great Ocean Road, when he spotted a giant shark molar [Credit: AFP] |
"I was walking along the beach looking for fossils, turned too saw this shining glint inwards a boulder too saw a quarter of the molar exposed," he said.
"I was instantly excited, it was simply perfect too I knew it was an of import uncovering that needed to hold upward shared amongst people."
He told Museums Victoria, too Erich Fitzgerald, senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology, confirmed the 7 centimetre-long (2.7 inch) teeth were from an extinct species of predator known every bit the bully jagged narrow-toothed shark (Carcharocles angustidens).
The shark, which stalked Australia's oceans to a greater extent than or less 25 1 K m years ago, feasting on minor whales too penguins, could grow to a greater extent than than ix metres long, close twice the length of today's bully white shark.
"These teeth are of international significance, every bit they correspond 1 of simply iii associated groupings of Carcharocles angustidens teeth inwards the world, too the real offset laid upward to e'er hold upward discovered inwards Australia," Fitzgerald said.
He explained that close all fossils of sharks worldwide were simply unmarried teeth, too it was extremely rare to uncovering multiple associated teeth from the same shark.
This is because sharks, who convey the powerfulness to regrow teeth, lose upward to a molar a 24-hour interval too cartilage, the textile a shark skeleton is made of, does non readily fossilise.
Fitzgerald suspected they came from 1 private shark too at that topographic point mightiness hold upward to a greater extent than entombed inwards the rock.
So he led a squad of palaeontologists, volunteers, too Mullaly on 2 expeditions before this twelvemonth to excavate the site, collecting to a greater extent than than xl teeth inwards total.
Most came from the mega-shark, but several smaller teeth were also establish from the sixgill shark (Hexanchus), which nevertheless exists today.
Museums Victoria palaeontologist Tim Ziegler said the sixgill teeth were from several unlike individuals too would convey travel dislodged every bit they scavenged on the carcass of the Carcharocles angustidens afterward it died.
"The stench of blood too decaying flesh would convey drawn scavengers from far around," he said.
"Sixgill sharks nevertheless be off the Victorian coast today, where they alive off the remains of whales too other animals. This uncovering suggests they convey performed that lifestyle hither for tens of millions of years."
Source: AFP [August 09, 2018]
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