Paleontologists discover unique 9 million-year-old shark fossil in Peru

An extraordinary discovery has stirred up the scientific community - in the Peruvian Pisco Desert, archaeologists have come across a rare fossil of an ancient shark that is 9 million years old. The remains belong to the species Cosmopolitodus hastalis, the ancestor of the modern white shark. This discovery was made by scientists from the Peruvian Geological and Mining Institute in a region located 235 km from the country's capital.

Cosmopolitodus hastalis dominated the ocean waters during the Miocene and Pliocene - from 23 to 2.6 million years ago. This huge predatory fish reached a length of 7 meters, with powerful teeth almost 9 centimeters long, which served as a perfect hunting tool. This is reported by Interesting Engineering.

The uniqueness of the find lies in its extraordinary preservation. Scientists found not only a well-preserved jaw with rows of sharp teeth, but also remains in the shark's stomach. The analysis showed that the main prey of this predator was sardines, a diet similar to the eating habits of modern marine predators.

Although fossils of C. hastalis fossils have been found in different parts of the world, indicating their widespread distribution, complete skeletons of these creatures are very rare. The species disappeared about a million years ago, and although the exact reasons for its extinction remain a mystery, scientists speculate that C. hastalis could have been an evolutionary link for modern shark species.

The Pisco Basin, where this discovery was made, has long been known for its rich deposits of marine fossils, and this find has added another important element to the region's paleontological mosaic.

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