Scientists have unearthed fossilized teeth belonging to five extinct shark species in Egypt's Western Desert, providing evidence of a lost marine world that existed more than 70 million years ago. The discovery on the Abu-Tartur Plateau, a region known for its phosphate deposits, suggests the arid landscape was once submerged under a warm, tropical sea teeming with life.
Researchers recovered 14 fossilized teeth, increasing the known number of shark species from the area to at least seven. The varied shapes of the teeth—ranging from needle-like to broad and serrated—indicate that the sharks preyed on different organisms and occupied distinct ecological niches within the ancient food web. The findings, published in the journal Cretaceous Research, shed light on a rich ecosystem that included small fish, invertebrates, and marine reptiles.
The Abu-Tartur Plateau is located approximately 400 miles southwest of Cairo. The presence of these shark species suggests the area was situated along the outer continental shelf or the upper slope of a deeper marine environment during the Late Cretaceous period. Scientists theorize that powerful ocean currents brought nutrient-rich water to the surface, fostering the growth of plankton and other small organisms that formed the base of a robust marine food chain.
Among the identified species are Cretalamna cf. maroccana, Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon, Serratolamna cf. serrata, Squalicorax bassanii, and Squalicorax pristodontus. Two of these, Serratolamna cf. serrata and Squalicorax bassanii, had not previously been documented in Egypt. The Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon, characterized by its long, needle-like teeth, might represent the first example of its species found in Africa and possibly the youngest specimen known in the fossil record.
These findings indicate that the region, now one of the driest places on Earth, was once a vibrant and productive ocean ecosystem. The sharks lived during the Cretaceous period, a time when the Earth was warmer and more humid, and much of what is now Egypt was covered by the warm Tethys Sea.