450 million years ago
During the Ordovician period, the first shark ancestors occurred, recognised by tiny fossilised scales.
410 million years ago
During the Devonian period, we saw the first appearance of shark-like teeth from Doliodus Problematicus, an unusual spiny fish.
380 million years ago
We saw a rise in shark-like fishes resembling that of modern-day shark species. Cladoselache, a shark-like cartilaginous fish (not a true modern shark), became present, a fast, torpedo-shaped predator.
359 million years ago
During the Carboniferous period, it gave name to what we now consider “the golden age of shark-like fishes”. This was partly due to a mass extinction that reduced many other fish groups, giving sharks more ecological opportunities
252 million years ago
During the Permian period, another mass extinction occurred, killing nearly all marine wildlife, with few shark species surviving.
145 million years ago
During the Cretaceous period, sharks continued diversifying during this time until the fifth major extinction occurred 66 million years ago.
66-23 million years ago
During the Palaeogene period, we saw sharks grow in size, then came Otodus obliquus, an ancestor of the megalodon.
Today, in modern times
We see a wide range of biodiversity amongst shark species, with unusual creatures emerging, such as the hammerhead.
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Despite the mass extinctions that occurred, many sharks we see in the present day have existed for extensive periods of time, with species or their lineages remaining present for millions of years.
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Shark Sensation Station © 2025 by Leah Galey is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
This website is actively being developed and updated.
All species featured within this site are currently extant.
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