A fossil shark called 'Godzilla Shark' turns out to belong to a new species
In 2013, a fossil of a 300 million year old shark tooth was found in the Manzano Mountains in New Mexico, USA. The shark, the owner of the tooth, has been called the 'Godzilla Shark' because the shape of this tooth was different from that of a traditional shark. Newly announced that this Godzilla shark is a new species that has never been discovered.
'Godzilla' shark discovered in New Mexico gets formal name
'Godzilla' Shark Discovered in New Mexico Gets Formal Name | New Mexico News | US News
https://www.usnews.com/news/news/articles/2021-04-16/godzilla-shark-discovered-in-new-mexico-gets-formal-name
In 2013, John Paul Hodnet, a graduate student at the time, unearthed a fossil tooth of Godzilla Shark in the Manzano Mountains in New Mexico, USA. The teeth of this ancient shark are shorter than the teeth of traditional sharks and are only about 2 cm long. Therefore, Godzilla Shark's teeth are believed to have helped to bite and crush the prey, not to pierce it.
In a newsletter of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Hodnet and his research team, who have been studying the fossils of Godzilla Shark discovered in 2013, said, 'Godzilla Shark is a new species of creature that has not been discovered so far. There is. '
Godzilla Shark is estimated to be about 6.7 feet long, and its official name is 'Dracopristis hoff manorum'. Nicknamed 'Hoffman's Dragon Shark' in honor of the Hoffman family, the owners of the Manzano Mountains.
It was called 'Godzilla Shark' because of its dragon-like jaw line and 2.5-foot (about 0.75 meters) fin thorn, but it was named Hoffman's Dragon Shark because it is also like a dragon. It looks like a dragon.
The 12 rows of teeth in the mandible were still covered by a layer of sediment after the fossil excavation. According to Hodnet, he succeeded in finding hidden teeth under the deposits using the latest light-based technology.
Hodnet works as a paleontologist and program coordinator at the National Capital Parks and Planning Commission in Laurel, Maryland. Researchers at the New Mexico Museum, St. Joseph's University, Northern Arizona University, and Idaho State University have been studying Godzilla Shark fossils with Mr. Hodnet.
The fossil skeleton of Godzilla Shark seems to have split from modern sharks and rays about 390 million years ago and then became extinct about 60 million years later. Therefore, it is considered to be the most evolved organism among cartilaginous fish.
Since eastern New Mexico was covered by seas 300 million years ago, Hodnet and his team believe that 'Godzilla sharks probably lived in shallow coastal waters and preyed on crustaceans and fish.' He says.
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