Cave in the U.S. Reveals New Species of Prehistoric Shark Dating Back 340 Million Years

Written by Romário Pereira de Carvalho

Published on 26/07/2025 at 19:33

Dente de tubarão – Ilustração/Benji Paysnoe e NPS Photo

14 people reacted to this.

Prehistoric Shark Tooth Discovered in Mammoth Cave National Park Helps Scientists Understand Ancient Marine Ecosystems

A fossilized shark tooth about 340 million years old was found in the largest cave network in the world. The discovery was made in the Ste. Genevieve Formation, within Mammoth Cave National Park in the state of Kentucky, United States.

The fossil measures approximately 1.3 centimeters and belongs to a new species of shark named Macadens olsoni.

The information was released by the National Park Service last Thursday, the 24th, just four days after the start of the traditional “Shark Week.”

ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW

See also

The Ste. Genevieve Formation is a geological site dated between 335 and 340 million years. During this period, the area that now houses the park was a shallow marine environment teeming with life such as crinoids, corals, and other organisms.

The park superintendent, Barclay Trimble, commented that the discovery is an important contribution to knowledge about ancient marine life.

According to him, the fossil “highlights the importance of preserving and studying our natural history.” The statement was echoed by the NY Post this weekend.

Trimble also stated that the finding “enriches our understanding of primitive marine ecosystems” and reinforces the essential role of paleontological research in the national parks of the United States.

According to the researchers involved, the shark Macadens olsoni stands out for its dentition with rows of curved teeth.

These teeth were suitable for crushing small living beings, such as mollusks and worms. The estimate is that the animal was about one foot long, approximately 30 centimeters.

The new species was named in honor of Mammoth Cave and retired scientist Rickard Olson.

The recognition is a way to value Olson’s contributions to scientific studies within the park.

“Each new discovery connects the past to the present and provides invaluable educational opportunities for students and the general public,” concluded Trimble.

With information from Adventures in History.

0 Comments

most recent

older Most voted

Cave in the U.S. Reveals New Species of Prehistoric Shark Dating Back 340 Million Years

Prehistoric Shark Tooth Discovered in Mammoth Cave National Park Helps Scientists Understand Ancient Marine Ecosystems

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Brazil filled the Northeast with wind turbines but now faces the side effect of 705 giant blades reaching the end of their lifespan by 2032 just in Rio Grande do Norte, while the world projects 43 million tons of waste by 2050.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

In just one cast, fishermen are surprised to capture 14,096 mullets in Bombinhas and close a historic season with 58,000 fish; scene recorded in the Santa Catarina paradise marks the last day of the 2026 season.

10 giant tortoises are reintroduced and, in just 6 months, trigger changes that lead scientists to investigate a phenomenon absent for 180 years; the numbers recorded on the island impress researchers from around the world.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

A former SpaceX engineer left rockets to reinvent home construction and founded a startup that manufactures wall panels from a grass that grows about 15 centimeters per day.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

How much does it cost to install gutters in a house in 2026? See the average costs of materials, labor, and the most common extra expenses that may arise during installation.

The United States government approved a potential sale of 100 portable Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to the Brazilian Army, in a package estimated at around 330 million dollars that still depends on negotiations between the two countries.

Cheaper than Fiat Pulse, Renault Kardian, and Volkswagen Tera: with a 2.0 turbo engine of 190 hp, 30.6 kgfm torque, automatic transmission, and Swedish safety package, this premium hatch delivers sports car performance at the price of a new compact: meet the Volvo V40 T4 Momentum 2017.

Cave in the U.S. Reveals New Species of Prehistoric Shark Dating Back 340 Million Years

Prehistoric Shark Tooth Discovered in Mammoth Cave National Park Helps Scientists Understand Ancient Marine Ecosystems

Engineers want to carve through Africa with a giant canal to bring water from the world’s second-largest river to a dying lake on the edge of the Sahara Desert that has already lost 90% of its water.

A giant brown band visible from space, approximately 8,850 kilometers long, connected Africa to America in the Atlantic Ocean, and satellites revealed that it is neither land nor pollution, but the largest accumulation of seaweed in the world, which broke records in 2025.

Brazil filled the Northeast with wind turbines but now faces the side effect of 705 giant blades reaching the end of their lifespan by 2032 just in Rio Grande do Norte, while the world projects 43 million tons of waste by 2050.

Instead of burning or burying old tires, an American city is transforming about 2,000 of them into the street itself, paving its first sections with a quieter and more durable rubber asphalt.

In just one cast, fishermen are surprised to capture 14,096 mullets in Bombinhas and close a historic season with 58,000 fish; scene recorded in the Santa Catarina paradise marks the last day of the 2026 season.

10 giant tortoises are reintroduced and, in just 6 months, trigger changes that lead scientists to investigate a phenomenon absent for 180 years; the numbers recorded on the island impress researchers from around the world.

Greek island offers free housing for volunteers, but there’s a condition: you need to take care of rescued cats.

China wants to install a giant power bank in space to harvest solar energy continuously, day and night, and has already tested on the ground, in a 75-meter tower, the wireless transmission of energy over a distance of 100 meters to various moving targets.

The brute force of the waves turns into clean energy with almost no waste, as promised by a gyroscopic converter created in Japan that, in simulations, couples with the sea’s sway and reaches the maximum limit of 50% efficiency, leaving old marine generators behind.

NASA’s space telescope already has 73% of its images contaminated by satellite trails, and scientists warn that the problem could reach 100% if millions of objects are launched into low Earth orbit.

From discarded uniform to blanket for those sleeping on the streets: Brazilian initiative transforms tons of corporate fabric into shelter, reduces textile waste, and creates a chain of social impact that starts in companies and ends in the hands of those who need it most.

Engineers from Norway develop a submersible barge to lift structures of 2,500 tons without relying on the world’s largest crane ships, aiming to reduce the costs of offshore wind turbine installation.

A former SpaceX engineer left rockets to reinvent home construction and founded a startup that manufactures wall panels from a grass that grows about 15 centimeters per day.

He transformed an abandoned plastic water tank into an underground house in the “hobbit hole” style, using only repurposed pallet wood, without heavy machinery or expensive labor.

How much does it cost to install gutters in a house in 2026? See the average costs of materials, labor, and the most common extra expenses that may arise during installation.

The United States government approved a potential sale of 100 portable Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to the Brazilian Army, in a package estimated at around 330 million dollars that still depends on negotiations between the two countries.

Cheaper than Fiat Pulse, Renault Kardian, and Volkswagen Tera: with a 2.0 turbo engine of 190 hp, 30.6 kgfm torque, automatic transmission, and Swedish safety package, this premium hatch delivers sports car performance at the price of a new compact: meet the Volvo V40 T4 Momentum 2017.