The newly discovered shark swam in the water similar to stingrays, and appeared to forage by filtering out and engulfing plankton-like creatures.
Aquilolamna milarcae sharks, an eagle shark with fins that look like wings, flew 93 million years ago across the sea in the northeastern part of what is now Mexico, by a group of scientists from France and Germany. The research, which is based on fossil records found in the state of Nuevo León (Mexico) in 2012, was published Thursday in the journal Science.
The animal that lived in the Cretaceous period – that is, during the time when dinosaurs were They took over the land– they have been more like manta rays than any shark species in existence, ever since Extraordinary proportions. This was due to her long side fins that she made Wider than lengthIt has a wingspan of approximately 1.9 meters and a total body length of 1.65 meters.
“Several adjectives can be used to describe this shark: unusual, unique, unusual, strange, rare. Yes, it is. The only shark Reuters quoted Romain Follow, a vertebrate paleontologist and lead author of the study.
Ancient sharks swim in the waters in the manner of contemporary manta rays, feeding by filtering and engulfing plankton-like creatures.
New shark, who dis? Scientists have discovered a new species of ancient winged shark, which was feeding on plankton before giant manta rays appeared, according to new research published Thursday.
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Among the characteristics of Aquilolamna milarcae, it stands out for its short head, with an undifferentiated nose and wide mouth, while its tail and tail fin were similar to many modern sharks.
He had quirks associating him with both plankton eating sharks and traditional body shapes, as well as flat devil rays and manta rays. However, it is in the end An example of convergent evolutionThat is, when different organisms develop independently and have similar characteristics.
A major factor that has not been preserved
Although most of the fossilized skeleton of Aquilolamna milarcae was found to be in good shape, this was not the case with its teeth, making it difficult to fully understand its true anatomy.
“This is a great find, but discovering other well-preserved specimens, especially with teeth, would be able to shine a light on Real anatomy Kensho Shimada, professor of paleontology at DePaul University in Chicago, said that this shark, as well as whether it actually forages by filtering.
The reason for the extinction of the candidate sharks is unknown, but scientists assume that colliding with Earth contributed to their decline asteroid About 65.5 million years ago.
