Fossil of a 9 million-year-old white shark ancestor discovered in Peru
Many people think that marine fossils can only be found in coastal or underwater sediments. However, sometimes they are found even in deserts. A striking example is a recent discovery in Peru - a perfectly preserved fossil of Cosmopolitodus hastalis, the ancestor of the white shark that lived about 9 million years ago.
Scott Travers, an evolutionary biologist at Rutgers University, wrote about this in his column for Forbes. He explained that many modern deserts were once marine ecosystems, which influenced the understanding of the evolution of prehistoric ecosystems and tectonic processes.
The Pisco Basin in Peru, where the fossil was found, is one of the most important paleontological sites in the world. Its sedimentary layers contain unique evidence of marine life dating back millions of years.
Travers notes that Cosmopolitodus hastalis existed from the late Oligocene to the early Pleistocene, and the find provides valuable insight into the region's ancient marine biodiversity.
Over millions of years, tectonic processes have raised the seabed of the Pisco Basin, forming a landmass, but the sediments have remained almost intact.
The biologist also emphasized that scientists have recently been increasingly looking for relics of ancient marine ecosystems in deserts such as the Sahara, Atacama, and Gobi. Thanks to the arid climate and minimal biological activity in these regions, fossils remain well preserved, as the lack of moisture significantly slows down erosion and decomposition.
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