Dinosaurs were n’t the only fearsome beast who call North America their home millions of years ago . The recent uncovering of pointy , fossilized teeth in rock that had been left over from an dig in the ‘ 90s has led scientists to declare a new — yet long - out — sharkspecies , Smithsonianreports .
North Carolina State University professor Terry Gates , who led the study publish in theJournal of Paleontology , identify the shark speciesGalagadon nordquistaeafter its triangular tooth , which he thought resemble the shape of the battleships in the video gameGalaga . The 2d part of the name pay homage to Karen Nordquist , the retire chemist and volunteer at Chicago ’s Field Museum who found the fogey in the first blank space .
Galagadonlived in what we now know as South Dakota ’s Hell Creek Formation , an region known for having rocks and fossils that date back at least 65 million years to the Cretaceous Period . It ’s the same place where scientist unearthedSuetheT.rex — the most consummate frame of its species ever discovered . Not only did the shark hold up at the same time as Sue , but it also “ live in a river Sue probably drank from , ” the Field Museum , where Sue can be seenon show , said in apress release .
In fact , the dig that led to Sue ’s discovery in 1990 is what enable this latest find . The sediment that encase Sue ’s osseous tissue , have it away as ground substance , was bump off and salt away in an underground unit of measurement at the Field Museum . Scientists and museum volunteers have only recently begin to sift through it in search of little fossil .
shark ’ skeletal system are primarily made of gristle , which deteriorate over time . But the petite teeth , mensurate just a millimeter astray , helped scientist figure out what the shark looked like . " Galagadonwas less than 2 foot long — it ’s not exactlyJaws , " Pete Makovicky , one of the study ’s writer , said in a statement .
The species is believed to be like to bamboo shark , which can be see today in southeast Asia and Australia . This connection surprise researchers , who are now questioning their agreement of the field where Sue was found , which was imagine to be a lake formed from a partially dry - up river . This latest discovery , however , indicate that there “ must have been at least some connection to marine environments , " Makovicky articulate .
[ h / tSmithsonian ]
