Palaeontologists have uncovered evidence of a remarkably rich marine ecosystem that existed in what is now Egypt’s desert millions of years ago, identifying teeth from seven shark species in rocks formed from an ancient seabed. The fossils were found on the Abu-Tartur Plateau in Egypt’s Western Desert, within the phosphate-rich Duwi Formation. The area was once part of a shallow sea that covered large parts of northern Africa during the Cretaceous period, between about 145 million and 66 million years ago.The study, led by palaeontologist Tarek Yassin of Cairo University, was published in the journal Cretaceous Research under the title describing the shark assemblage from the Duwi Formation at Abu-Tartur.Researchers examined 14 previously unreported shark teeth and identified five species that had not been recorded from Abu-Tartur before: Cretalamna cf. maroccana, Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon, Serratolamna cf. serrata, Squalicorax bassanii and Squalicorax pristodontus. Two of them, Serratolamna cf. serrata and Squalicorax bassanii, are also new records for Egypt.One discovery was particularly significant. The needle-like teeth of Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon may represent the first known occurrence of the species in Africa and could be its youngest known fossil record, according to the researchers.The findings point to a highly productive marine environment, likely fuelled by ocean upwelling that brought nutrient-rich deep water toward the surface. This would have supported plankton, fish and invertebrates, creating a food web capable of sustaining several large shark predators.The researchers cautioned that the fossils do not prove all seven species lived in the area simultaneously. Limited sediment accumulation meant the phosphate deposits condensed remains from different periods and ecological settings.“The presence of Squalicorax could suggest an input from nearshore/inner shelf settings, while the occurrence of Scapanorhynchus reflects deeper-water conditions on the outer shelf and slope,” the researchers wrote.

Scientists have uncovered a 100-million-year-old shark graveyard in Egypt’s desert, with teeth from seven species revealing a once-thriving marine ecosystem along northern Africa.

Palaeontologists have uncovered evidence of a remarkably rich marine ecosystem that existed in what is now Egypt’s desert millions of years ago, identifying teeth from seven shark species in rocks formed from an ancient seabed. The fossils were found on the Abu-Tartur Plateau in Egypt’s Western Desert, within the phosphate-rich Duwi Formation. The area was once part of a shallow sea that covered large parts of northern Africa during the Cretaceous period, between about 145 million and 66 million years ago. The study, led by palaeontologist Tarek Yassin of Cairo University, was published in the journal Cretaceous Research under the title describing the shark assemblage from the Duwi Formation at Abu-Tartur. Researchers examined 14 previously unreported shark teeth and identified five species that had not been recorded from Abu-Tartur before: Cretalamna cf. maroccana, Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon, Serratolamna cf. serrata, Squalicorax bassanii and Squalicorax pristodontus. Two of them, Serratolamna cf. serrata and Squalicorax bassanii, are also new records for Egypt. One discovery was particularly significant. The needle-like teeth of Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon may represent the first known occurrence of the species in Africa and could be its youngest known fossil record, according to the researchers. The findings point to a highly productive marine environment, likely fuelled by ocean upwelling that brought nutrient-rich deep water toward the surface. This would have supported plankton, fish and invertebrates, creating a food web capable of sustaining several large shark predators. The researchers cautioned that the fossils do not prove all seven species lived in the area simultaneously. Limited sediment accumulation meant the phosphate deposits condensed remains from different periods and ecological settings. “The presence of Squalicorax could suggest an input from nearshore/inner shelf settings, while the occurrence of Scapanorhynchus reflects deeper-water conditions on the outer shelf and slope,” the researchers wrote.

Scientists have uncovered a 100-million-year-old shark graveyard in Egypt’s desert, with teeth from seven species revealing a once-thriving marine ecosystem along northern Africa.

Was Egypt’s desert once a shark-filled sea? Scientists uncover ancient ‘graveyard’

Scientists have come across ancient wrinkle structures in Morocco's Central High Atlas Mountains. These wrinkle structures were 180-million-year-old fossilised and created by chemosynthetic microbes. &nbsp;These rocks formed at least 590 feet underwater in total darkness, powered by chemical reactions rather than sunlight in relatively unstable deep-sea environments.&nbsp;"Let's go through every single piece of evidence that we can find to be sure that these are wrinkle structures in turbidites," says Rowan Martindale, a paleoecologist and geobiologist at The University of Texas at Austin. Because wrinkle structures, usually photosynthetic in origin, "shouldn't be in this deep-water setting.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-atlas-ai-image-truth-social-explained-1782637774877">Why did Donald Trump share an Atlas-like AI image on Truth Social?</a>The researchers found elevated concentrations of carbon in the sediment layers, which is often associated with biological activity and provided an important clue that microbes were involved. These organisms might have lived off of sulphur or other compounds. Today, chemosynthetic microbial mats form on continental shelves, where underwater landslides and turbidites also occur. These landslides might have been crucial to the cycle that allowed the microbes to thrive by dragging down organic material, which would have decomposed and created compounds such as methane or hydrogen sulfide, food for chemosynthetic life."Wrinkle structures," Martindale said, "are really important pieces of evidence in the early evolution of life."While the oldest evidence of microbial life dates back to around 3.77 to 4.28 billion years old, this particularly shocked scientists, as 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, the deep sea was already crawling with complex animals like worms, crabs, and molluscs. These animals would constantly churn up the mud, which almost always destroyed the delicate microbial structure before they could fossilise. Finding intact microbes from that era is incredibly rare.&nbsp;

Scientists have discovered 180-million-year-old fossilised microbial wrinkle structures in Morocco's Central High Atlas, offering rare evidence of deep-sea chemosynthetic life during the Jurassic Period.

Scientists have come across ancient wrinkle structures in Morocco's Central High Atlas Mountains. These wrinkle structures were 180-million-year-old fossilised and created by chemosynthetic microbes. These rocks formed at least 590 feet underwater in total darkness, powered by chemical reactions rather than sunlight in relatively unstable deep-sea environments. "Let's go through every single piece of evidence that we can find to be sure that these are wrinkle structures in turbidites," says Rowan Martindale, a paleoecologist and geobiologist at The University of Texas at Austin. Because wrinkle structures, usually photosynthetic in origin, "shouldn't be in this deep-water setting. Also Read: Why did Donald Trump share an Atlas-like AI image on Truth Social? The researchers found elevated concentrations of carbon in the sediment layers, which is often associated with biological activity and provided an important clue that microbes were involved. These organisms might have lived off of sulphur or other compounds. Today, chemosynthetic microbial mats form on continental shelves, where underwater landslides and turbidites also occur. These landslides might have been crucial to the cycle that allowed the microbes to thrive by dragging down organic material, which would have decomposed and created compounds such as methane or hydrogen sulfide, food for chemosynthetic life. "Wrinkle structures," Martindale said, "are really important pieces of evidence in the early evolution of life." While the oldest evidence of microbial life dates back to around 3.77 to 4.28 billion years old, this particularly shocked scientists, as 180 million years ago, during the Jurassic Period, the deep sea was already crawling with complex animals like worms, crabs, and molluscs. These animals would constantly churn up the mud, which almost always destroyed the delicate microbial structure before they could fossilise. Finding intact microbes from that era is incredibly rare.

Scientists have discovered 180-million-year-old fossilised microbial wrinkle structures in Morocco's Central High Atlas, offering rare evidence of deep-sea chemosynthetic life during the Jurassic Period.

Scientists discover 180-million-year-old fossilised microbes in Morocco's deep sea

In a remarkable paleontological breakthrough, scientists have unearthed fossil evidence of a massive ancient cephalopod, often likened to the mythical kraken. Estimated to reach nearly 60 feet in length, the discovery sheds new light on prehistoric ocean life and the evolution of giant marine predators. Researchers say the find could transform our understanding of ancient ecosystems, revealing how such enormous creatures thrived in Earth’s distant past.


Scientists Unearth 60 Foot Kraken Fossils: Massive Cephalopod Found

Fossils discovered in Jiangchuan are reshaping scientists’ understanding of early life on Earth. The findings reveal complex multicellular organisms that existed hundreds of millions of years ago, providing new insights into the evolution of life. Researchers say these fossils challenge previous timelines and demonstrate that early life forms were more diverse and sophisticated than previously thought, marking a significant breakthrough in paleontology and evolutionary biology.


Jiangchuan Fossils Transform Evolution Understanding | Early Complex Creatures Found in China

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Was Egypt’s desert once a shark-filled sea? Scientists uncover ancient ‘graveyard’

Scientists discover 180-million-year-old microbes in Morocco's deep sea

Scientists Unearth 60 Foot Kraken Fossils: Massive Cephalopod Found

Jiangchuan Fossils Transform Evolution Understanding | Early Complex Creatures Found in China