Fossils are an indispensible part of modern science. Helping piece together the world as it was millions of years ago, fossils are the most essential cornerstone of paleontology and new ones continue to trickle up ever so often.
This time, however, scientists have come across an exceptionally rare find: a living fossil. Off the Algarve coast off Portugal, a group of researchers working on an EU project have come across a Cretaceous-era frilled shark, one that has miraculously survived for over 80 million years.
The researchers believe that the animal has remained unchanged over the millions of years, and how it managed to survive unchanged when almost all species were wiped out or forced to evolve to survive is a mystery.
The shark in question measured around five feet in length, but reports indicate that it can grow to well over six feet, bigger than most grown humans.
Published 13 November 2017, 09:44 IST