A tiny shark species dating back hundreds of millions of years has been identified at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, the National Park Service announced Monday.
The identification was made based on fossilized teeth found in Mammoth Cave, in an area known as the Ste. Genevieve Formation, which is estimated to be about 340 million years old.
Unlike some of the more mega-sized shark species of ancient Earth, park officials said the recently found shark only measured about 3-4 inches long.
Other notable features of the shark include the very teeth it was identified by.
According to researchers, the shark had front teeth that were chisel-like, while their back teeth had flat crowns and long tooth bases akin to old iron nails.
In fact, it was the shape of their back teeth that lent themselves to the shark’s name: Clavusodens mcginnisi, or “McGinnis’ nail tooth.” “McGinnis” was included in honor of David McGinnis, a retired NPS superintendent and naturalist whose 39-year career began at Mammoth Cave National Park.
The park, particularly the Ste. Genevieve Formation, where the McGinnis’ nail tooth shark was found, is where more than 70 species of sharks and other fish have been identified.
Located along the southern border of Kentucky, the area where Mammoth Cave now sits once rested at the bottom of an old ocean, the NPS said.
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