Seven Ancient Shark Species Found in Egyptian Desert

The middle of Egypt's desert just revealed its ancient secret: it used to be an underwater paradise teeming with sharks.

Between 2020 and 2022, scientists uncovered fossilized teeth from seven different shark species at the Abu-Tartur Plateau in Egypt's Western Desert. The discovery offers a glimpse into a time when this now arid landscape lay beneath a flourishing sea.

"This study provides evidence that the area now occupied by the plateau was once a sea with flourished marine life," Tarek Yassin, a paleontologist at Cairo University, told Live Science. The ancient waters featured favorable temperatures, abundant sunlight, and appropriate oxygen levels that supported diverse marine ecosystems.

During the Cretaceous period, roughly 145 to 66 million years ago, Earth's sea levels stood up to 558 feet higher than today. Shallow seas covered areas that are now bone dry, including large swaths of the Egyptian desert.

The research team found 14 fossilized teeth representing at least five shark species previously unknown from this site. Two species, including relatives of the modern mackerel shark, had been discovered in earlier expeditions.

One particularly exciting find was Scapanorhynchus raphiodon, an ancient relative of today's goblin shark that had never been reported in Africa before. Two other species, Serratolamna serrata and Squalicorax bassanii, were documented in Egypt for the first time.

"Finding teeth belonging to seven different shark species was particularly remarkable, especially because they were all discovered in the same location," Yassin said. The team had specifically targeted the area because of its rich phosphorite deposits, which often form from the shells and bones of marine animals.

Why This Inspires

This discovery reminds us that our planet tells stories across millions of years. What seems impossible today, an ocean in the desert, was once reality.

The presence of multiple shark species in one location suggests the ancient sea supported a nutrient-rich, complex ecosystem with plenty of smaller fish to feed these apex predators. While the sharks may not have all lived at the same time, their preserved remains paint a picture of an ocean full of life.

The research team plans to continue exploring the Abu-Tartur Plateau and surrounding areas. "We believe there is still much more to discover," Yassin said, hinting at future revelations waiting beneath the sand.