New 326-Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark-like Species Identified

Credit: (Courtesy of American Museum of Natural History)

An artist’s reconstruction of the new shark-like species Cosmoselachus mehlingi.

« New 326-Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark-like Species Identified

Credit: (Courtesy of Royal Mapes)

Cosmoselachus mehlingi, photographed in the late 1970s, positioned to show the underside of the throat, jaws, and pectoral fins.

« New 326-Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark-like Species Identified

Credit: (Courtesy of Allison Bronson)

Rendering of the top of the fossil’s skull and jaws alongside a rendering of the fossil’s throat (viewed from below), made from CT scanning. The gill cover (green) is unlike the anatomy of any other species of shark.

« New 326-Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark-like Species Identified

Credit: (Courtesy of Denis Finnin/American Museum of Natural History)

Paleontologist Carl Mehling, for whom the new fossil fish species is named, is shown on a field expedition to Wyoming.

« New 326-Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark-like Species Identified

Expert Pitch

Expert Query

Expert Directory