'Living Fossil' Shark

Rubecula · 25-03-2011 10:24pm #1

http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/01/24/first-living-dinosaur-found-in-japan/

Not sure if you have seen this before but what a strange looking thing it is.

Galvasean · 26-03-2011 2:12pm

I remember reading about that on National Geographic a while back. It's called a 'frilled shark' (that's Chlamydoselachus anguineus to the anally-retentive among us).
here's some decent info about it on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frilled_shark
Pretty cool creature. Gives us a great insight into the lives of long gone prehistoric sharks (see that? that's me justifying not having to move the thread to another forum! :pac:)

Adam Khor · 26-03-2011 7:03pm

Think that's bizarre? Check out the Goblin Shark (another "living fossil") biting a dude's arm!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh_HUIJkRzU

Galvasean · 26-03-2011 7:31pm

Ah yes, the star of this little gem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2VHfoaM4jA

PS: to post a youtube video you first type: [ youtube ]
then you type the bit of the URL address that comes after the =
example: l2VHfoaM4jA
then type [ /youtube ]
Just remove the spaces in the 'youtube' brackets.

Adam Khor · 26-03-2011 7:37pm

God... now it's man-eating goblin sharks... what's next? Man-eating manatees? :S

Galvasean · 26-03-2011 7:44pm

We call them maneatees

Adam Khor · 26-03-2011 7:47pm

Hahaha I can´t believe I didn´t see that coming:D

Alvin T. Grey · 31-03-2011 2:18pm

Hang on, does this sound silly...

Meglodon (sp?) is supposed to be a prehistoric shark. Yes? Yet I read somewhere that it shared the ocean with todays Great White. I'm assuming that that means the two species overlapped somewhat on the evlotionary ladder.

If so does that make the Great White already a kind of living fossil?

Rubecula · 31-03-2011 3:03pm

Found this little video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8UXlcgzcEA

Rubecula · 31-03-2011 3:08pm

Alvin T. Grey wrote: »

Hang on, does this sound silly...

Meglodon (sp?) is supposed to be a prehistoric shark. Yes? Yet I read somewhere that it shared the ocean with todays Great White. I'm assuming that that means the two species overlapped somewhat on the evlotionary ladder.

If so does that make the Great White already a kind of living fossil?

A genuine question never sounds silly Alvin, it is how we learn. Not sure if this link is much help to you but it may answer your questions regarding this awsome creature.

http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/nof/top/megalodon.html

Alvin T. Grey · 31-03-2011 3:12pm

That is one big assed shark. I'm surprised that the family has been around for so long. I suppose that evolution is of the opinion that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Rubecula · 31-03-2011 3:15pm

Sharks have been around for so long with only minor differences due to that very fact Alvin. They have had no need to change.

Yes they have evolved over time but the basics have remained comparitively unchanged because they have not needed to change.

Adam Khor · 31-03-2011 5:49pm

Alvin T. Grey wrote: »

Hang on, does this sound silly...

Meglodon (sp?) is supposed to be a prehistoric shark. Yes? Yet I read somewhere that it shared the ocean with todays Great White. I'm assuming that that means the two species overlapped somewhat on the evlotionary ladder.

If so does that make the Great White already a kind of living fossil?

The thing is, evolution is not one single line; the Lamnidae family, which today includes the Great White, Mako and Salmon sharks, branched in many different species in the past; it used to be thought that Megalodon was the giant ancestor to the Great White Shark but now we know they probably shared a common ancestor but evolved separately from each other. They would be "siblings" rather than father and son, so to speak.

As for why Megalodon dissappeared and the Great White is still here, it probably has to do with the Megalodon's overspecialization; it was obviously designed to hunt very large prey and couldn´t survive on smaller game like the Great White.

BTW, you're going to find tons of videos on You Tube "proving" that Megalodon still exists, but it's just wishful thinking, sadly :S

Alvin T. Grey · 31-03-2011 5:59pm

Adam Khor wrote: »

The thing is, evolution is not one single line; the Lamnidae family, which today includes the Great White, Mako and Salmon sharks, branched in many different species in the past; it used to be thought that Megalodon was the giant ancestor to the Great White Shark but now we know they probably shared a common ancestor but evolved separately from each other. They would be "siblings" rather than father and son, so to speak.

As for why Megalodon dissappeared and the Great White is still here, it probably has to do with the Megalodon's overspecialization; it was obviously designed to hunt very large prey and couldn´t survive on smaller game like the Great White.

BTW, you're going to find tons of videos on You Tube "proving" that Megalodon still exists, but it's just wishful thinking, sadly :S

Speak for yourself...

I wouldn't want to be in the same ocean as that thing!:D

Adam Khor · 31-03-2011 6:01pm

Well, the Great White Shark usually doesn´t think humans are worthy of being eaten; they seldom eat people because we are too low-fat (for real!), so I don´t think a Megalodon would even pay attention to us. Remember this thing was feeding on whales!

I would suposse a baby Megalodon would be much more dangerous to humans than an adult one (unless you were in a boat or something, which may draw an adult's attention more... but that's only me

)

Alvin T. Grey · 31-03-2011 6:33pm

Adam Khor wrote: »

I would suposse a baby Megalodon would be much more dangerous to humans than an adult one (unless you were in a boat or something, which may draw an adult's attention more... but that's only me )

What if you were a team of cheerleaders.......

Hang on, I got to go take a cold shower....:D

'Living Fossil' Shark

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