Ancient Shark Jaw Twist Reveals a Surprising Hunting Secret Lost for 370 Million Years
In a study published in the journal Communications Biology, researchers examined the skull and jaw of the prehistoric shark using computed X-ray tomography (CT), then created a 3D model to conduct physical tests. They found some interesting things from their study.
Frey et alScientists used advanced CT scanning to recreate a 3D model of the shark’s distinct jaw.
The biggest difference researchers found between the F. oukherbouchidates and their modern-day brethren was their unique dental structure. Modern sharks easily lose any tooth worn down by their mighty bite and quickly grow a new tooth in its place.
But the prehistoric shark’s jaws were completely different. Whenever the prehistoric shark lost one of its teeth, a new tooth sprouted in a row on the inside of the jaw, next to the older teeth. Their new tooth didn’t grow upward but curved inward toward the shark’s tongue, essentially flattening its row of teeth when its mouth was closed.
When the prehistoric shark opened its mouth, the cartilage at the back of the jaw would flex so that the sides of the jaw “folded” down and the newer, sharper teeth rotated upward. This enabled the prehistoric shark to launch a remarkably lethal bite into its prey using as many teeth as possible.
When the shark’s jaw closed again, the force of its jaw would push seawater and its prey down toward the throat while, at the same time, its sharp new teeth rotated inward to trap its prey. This horrifying feeding method is known as suction-feeding.
“Through this rotation, the younger, larger, and sharper teeth, which usually pointed toward the inside of the mouth, were brought into an upright position. This made it easier for animals to impale their prey,” said Linda Frey, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate with the Institut für Paläontologie und Paläontologisches Museum at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
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