Paleontologists have discovered fossilized shark teeth in Egypt's Western Desert, indicating the richness of an ancient shallow sea, reports infohub.kz.
A research team led by paleontologist Tarek Yassin from Cairo University conducted excavations on the Abu Tartur Plateau. The scientists collected 14 fossilized teeth of various shapes, from long and slender to curved and serrated. Analysis showed they belong to at least seven extinct shark species. Five of these species had not been previously found in the region, and two species were completely new to Egypt.
About 80 million years ago, the area of present-day Western Desert of Egypt was underwater. A shallow inland sea connected to the Tethys Ocean, creating favorable conditions for the proliferation of marine flora and fauna. Over time, due to tectonic plate movements and a drop in global sea levels, the water receded, and the phosphate-rich bottom sediments of the Duwi Formation preserved evidence of ancient life.
The diversity of tooth shapes indicates that the extinct sharks occupied different ecological niches and hunted different prey. Some species inhabited coastal shallows, while others preferred deeper parts of the continental shelf. The find allows scientists to more accurately reconstruct the structure of ancient tropical seas in North Africa.