Scientists have learned what a giant prehistoric shark looked like – Knife

Fossil experts have examined the complete skeletons of huge prehistoric sharks, Ptychodus, dating back to approximately 93 million years ago, to reveal what these marine animals looked like.

The general shape and proportions of the body, as well as the size, shape and position of the fins and thick vertebral column, indicate that the sharks were fast swimmers. Massive teeth could mean they fed on creatures with shells.

The predators likely hunted prey in open water, feeding on sea turtles and ammonites rather than creatures like mollusks that lived on the seabed, as previously thought.

Ptychodus may have been the largest shark ever to live on such a diet. Its maximum length was about 9.7 meters – longer than today’s great white shark.

The study also suggests that Ptychodus may have gone extinct due to competition with other creatures, such as large aquatic reptiles, that fed on similar prey.