Sharks have been around longer than trees! It sounds impossible, right? Well, it's true. And here's how.
The Age of Sharks
Since the very beginning, sharks have existed on this planet. Their earliest ancestors appear in the fossil record about 515 million years ago.
Over the centuries, sharks have witnessed the rise and fall of numerous species on Earth, including the dinosaurs. Luckily for us, they still remain a resilient and adaptable group, with their numbers still counting for billions today.
Sharks And Trees
Ironically, the oldest member of the shark family turns out to be not unlike a tree – ancient and unmoving. Recent geological evidence suggests that bony and cartilaginous fish have been around since at least 340 million years ago – over 50 million years before trees.
Not only that, shark skeletons are built in a way that’s remarkably similar to that of trees. Shark bones are made of different kinds of bone types found in all vertebrates – cartilage, calcified cartilage and bone.
Evolutionary biologists believe that these bone types may have given sharks an advantage over trees, allowing the former to evolve into larger and more diverse species over time. Cartilage is especially well-suited to adaptation, as it's strong yet flexible and robust.
So, while sharks are technically old enough to make claims towards biodiversity, their resilient design and ability to adapt make them one of nature's most impressive creatures.
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