MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK – A new species of ancient shark has been discovered at Mammoth Cave National Park.
The tiny shark has been dubbed “Clavusodens mcginnisi,” or “McGinnis’ nail tooth.” Mcginnisi is a nod to the retired National Park Service superintendent and naturalist David McGinnis, who started his 39-year career at Mammoth Cave.
“Its name is derived from the shark’s back teeth which superficially look like old iron nails because of their flat crowns and long tooth bases,” writes the National Park Service.
Sharks of this type have been named “chipmunk sharks,” because they were just 3-4 inches long with chisel-like front teeth.
Fossil teeth from this new species were found deep inside the Ste. Genevieve Formation as part of an ongoing Paleontological Resource Inventory (PRI) effort. So far, 70 species of sharks and other fish have been identified from this geologic region of the cave.
“The fossil discoveries in Mammoth Cave continue to reveal a wealth of new information about ancient shark species,” said Superintendent Barclay Trimble.
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
