270 million years ago, you should have been careful before diving into the ocean. Among the inhabitants of the prehistoric underwater kingdom, none were as fearsome as the helicoprion, a creature with a set of teeth that could strike fear into the hearts of any onlooker.
The saga of this creature began in 1899, when its remains were discovered during excavations in the Ural Mountains. This discovery marked the birth of a mysterious mystery that fascinated paleontologists around the world. Ancient Origins writes that the object of intrigue is a kind of fossil – spiral-shaped teeth reminiscent of chainsaw blades.
The challenge that had puzzled experts for decades was determining not only the creature this fossil belonged to, but also its exact anatomical location.
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The unique fossil was named “helicoprion”. The name aptly indicated the spiral nature of the tooth helix, which, upon examination, turned out to be the fossilized remains of a spiral formed by shark teeth.
Paleontologists faced the difficult task of trying to recreate the appearance of ancient sea creatures, given that sharks have a skeleton made of cartilage, not bone. Therefore, only their teeth can petrify. This challenge explains how long it took to unravel the mysteries of the helicopyr.
The hypothesis that the helicopy helix was part of an elephant’s snout was a step in the right direction. However, the American paleontologist Charles Rochester Eastman offered an alternative interpretation in 1900, suggesting that it was part of a shark’s dorsal fin.
Later, numerous specimens resembling Helicoprion’s tooth spiral were found in various parts of the world. Unfortunately, without any biological context, experts had to rely on assumptions about the actual function and placement of teeth.
The breakthrough came in 2013 when researchers decided to CT scan a helicoprion fossil found in 1950s Idaho and held at the Idaho Museum of Natural History. This fossil preserved fragments of the jaw of a helicopyr, which eventually provided a clue.
Helicoprion belonged to the eugenodont family of cartilaginous fish and was not a shark, reaching about four to seven meters in length. His most striking feature was an incredible spiral tooth in the middle of his mouth that sticks out like a chainsaw where the tongue should be.
Experts now claim that for a staggering 20 million years, the helicopyronic tooth structure was used to cut through prey and even shell hard-bodied cephalopods.
Previously Focus wrote about a dolphin and an elephant in one body. Scientists have discovered a new type of ancient animal, and it’s terrible.
We also talked about the secrets of an ancient reptile from the Triassic period. It turned out that they starved in old age because of their teeth.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.