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1 month ago
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In historic discovery relayed by Kentucky’s Mammoth Cave National Park, paleontologists have come up with the first open announcement regarding the discovery of two new species of shark, presenting the universe with an idea of the oceans during the prehistoric period. The new species, Troglocladodus trimblei and Glikmanius careforum, have been found by means of the park’s Paleontological Resources Inventory, shedding the spotlight on the period the site was an ancient seabed environment.
The find is not only proof of the closed-off past behind the stone walls of the cave but also an evidence of the yet untapped potential behind the fossil records of the park. The Mammoth Cave was just as well-known today by the enormous number of caves as the ancient seaway spanning the continents of eastern North America, Europe, and northern Africa was 325 million years ago.
Troglocladodus trimblei, in honor of park Superintendent Barclay Trimble, was discovered by an early PRI expedition during 2019 when Trimble personally discovered the preliminary fossil. Hattered by an adult and youth’s teeth, the species was identified as the “Cave Branching Tooth,” by means of an adult and youth’s teeth and is estimated to have reached up to 10-12 feet. That something so horrific would end up found in an otherwise landlocked park is proof only of the evolutionary tales that fossils have to present.
Glikmanius careforum, one of the new species within the genus Glikmanius, is also said to have been one savage hunter during the time, the same type of intimidating size. The species assigned name was an honor bestowed for the Cave Research Foundation, as they commemorated their assistance during the research work done by the caves of the Mammoth. Curiously, the partial set of gills and jaws of the youth Glikmanius is the first discovery under this genus ctenacanthus shark, providing very useful information on the predatory function as well as body organization.
Their existence in the fossil evidence means the top predators patrolled the shallow shore environments that covered present Kentucky and Alabama to compensate for gorging on small sharks, hard-shelled bony fish, and deep-diving orthocones. Their trenching point teeth and probable speed mean they were well-suited to their environment, dominated the marine ecosystem during their time.
Since the Paleontological Resources Inventory got underway in 2019, nearly 70 species of fossil fish have been unearthed, qualifying Mammoth Cave as a significant paleontological site. Under the guidance of experts like J.P. Hodnett, the finds are continuing to surface, each item contributing to the story of the global biological legacy a small but necessary piece.
The cave guide-paleontologist for the Mammoth Cave, Rick Toomey, was ecstatic over the finds, adding “Before four or five years ago, we had absolutely no idea that we had all of these exciting sharks, so many that are new to science and that Mammoth Cave would be one of the most important shark localities from about 340 million years ago.”
The buzz over the discovery is exhilarating, and rightly so. With each find, still one more layer is stripped away from the Earth’s natural past, giving us a glimpse into bygone times. Though the sites where this ancient shark was discovered are closed to research teams, one thing is for sure Mammoth Cave has still many secrets hidden from the diligent and eager eyes of science.
