A team of researchers from Australia's National Science Agency (CSIRO) made an unusual discovery while conducting a biodiversity survey at the new Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park. The team was using a net to sample the different animal species that live in the area when they stumbled upon an underwater shark graveyard containing hundreds of fossilized shark teeth.
Among the samples was a tooth from the archaic ancestor of the vanished terror predator, the megalodon. Initially, the team thought that their net was just full of sediment and manganese nodules, but upon closer inspection, they realized the significance of their discovery, as stated by ABC News Au.
The grave includes a tooth from the ancestor of the megalodon, an extinct predator, according to Dianne Bray, senior collections officer for the Museums Victoria Research Institute. The researchers were surprised that their net contained around 750 shark teeth, some of which were fossils and some from more recent sharks. One of the most significant discoveries was a tooth that the team believes belonged to the ancestor of the megalodon shark. The teeth were found at a depth of almost 18,000 feet.
Shark's Grave
The shark whose tooth was found at the site is believed to be the ancestor of the megalodon, a now-extinct shark that was the largest of all sharks. The megalodon lived at least 20 million years ago and is estimated to have grown to 65 feet long. Its teeth were often the size of a human hand. Glenn Moore, Curator of Fishes at the WA Museum, said it was surprising to find so many teeth in such a small area of the seafloor. He added that it was a unique opportunity to have an almost complete collection from one spot.
Newsweek's report stated that the discovery included the tooth of a megalodon shark or its closest ancestor. The megalodon was the largest shark ever to live and grew between 15 and 18 meters in length. It died out more than three million years ago. Moore said the "graveyard" was a remarkable find. He suggested that the sharks may have gathered in the area because it was a low point on the ocean floor.
Dr. Moore said he had never seen or heard of a collection of shark teeth like the one in the underwater graveyard. He said it was a unique opportunity to have such a complete collection from one spot. He also said that paleontologists would likely be very happy when they get their hands on the teeth. Dr. Moore is currently on a marine park biodiversity study in the Gascoyne.
Marine Biodiversity
Dr. Moore added that the current trip is being undertaken for Parks Australia, which manages Australia's marine parks network. The trip is designed to understand the area's biodiversity and provide baseline knowledge of the biodiversity. He said they have already found a huge diversity of animals, including fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and soft corals. He added that the deep waters at 5,000 meters contain things that are hard to imagine. He also said that because a survey hasn't been done in that part of Western Australia before, they are also finding species in new areas. Among the exciting finds was a new species of hornshark that is already known to scientists but has yet to be described.
CSIRO shark expert Will White, who is the deputy chief scientist of the current trip, said that the discovery of the new species of hornshark would greatly benefit their study. He said his current thinking is that the shark is endemic to Western Australia and possibly the Northern Territory. He added that getting a fresh specimen is a real boost to the study and can be used as the holotype, the primary specimen for describing the species.
Dr. Bray said they likely discovered several new species during their trip to Cocos Islands. She said that it wouldn't be until they look at the specimens under a microscope that they will know if they are different species. However, she said they know they have at least a couple of new species. She added that getting a specimen of the new hornshark in such good condition is exciting.
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