An Ancient Shark Graveyard Has Been Found in The Egyptian Desert
Paleontologists have discovered a diverse shark graveyard in Egypt's Abu-Tartur Plateau, dating back to the Cretaceous period. The findings suggest the region was once a nutrient-rich marine ecosystem rather than the arid desert seen today.
Why it matters
This discovery provides critical insights into ancient marine biodiversity and the environmental conditions of the Cretaceous period.
Add ScienceAlert on Google (Anton Petrus/Moment/Getty Images) The desert sands of Egypt have been dry for thousands of years.
As difficult as it is to picture now, however, much of that desert was once submerged beneath a sea that covered much of the northern perimeter of the African continent.
Nor was it a dead sea – evidence suggests that, during the Cretaceous period, it may have been a tropical wonderland, where rising currents lifted nutrients into the water column to feed a thriving ecosystem.
Now, buried in what was once the floor of that long-ago sea , on the Abu-Tartur Plateau, paleontologists have found evidence of its lushness: the teeth of sharks that would have thrived amid the bounty of fish.
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