Scientists Model How Prehistoric Shark Cut Through Prey With ‘Scissor Jaws’
via Smithsonian
Paleontologists have known about Edestus for over 150 years. Fossils of the fish were found in the roughly 330-million-year-old shale of the United States and England, most of them with preserved teeth and parts of the jaw. Since Edestus’ discovery in the 19th century, its jaws have stymied experts looking to understand the feeding habits of this unusual fish. Edestus’ two rows of teeth aren’t arranged in a half circle, as in most modern sharks, but rather look like a pair of toothy pinking shears. Nothing like Edestus exists today, but a new analysis of a delicate fossil has solved the mystery of how this ancient marine predator consumed its prey.