An ancient shark with wings? A new study recently published in the journal Science shows that scientists have discovered a new species of ancient winged shark that began feeding on plankton in the ocean before the giant manta ray appeared.
Fossils of this species that lived 93 million years ago were found in northeastern Mexico. The length of the sample in question is about 1.65 m, and the span of the fin is 1.9 m. Like modern rays, this shark, known as the "eagle shark," has an extremely long pectoral fin that is reminiscent of wings. The researchers say the strange creature may swim very slowly and is unlikely to prey on. Lead researcher Romain Vallo of the French National Centre for Scientific Research and the University of Rennes said: "It is simply not suitable for fast swimming and tracking prey. "Coupled with the large head and no teeth found on the fossil bones, Vallo said it was more of a plankton-feeding animal than a carnivore."
Prior to this discovery, scientists knew only a class of large plankton predators from the Cretaceous period, a large polyphyllary fish known as pachico. The eagle shark is now the second known ancient fish that feeds on plankton.
Unfortunately, this animal went extinct along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, after an asteroid hit Earth. "Eagle sharks were gradually replaced by manta rays and devil rays after extinction, which developed in the early Tertiary period," Vallow said.
#奇妙的动物 #
