Prehistoric Shark That Dates Back 80 Million Years Discovered By Scientists

Sic Noticias TV

Scientists just caught a prehistoric shark, in the Algarve, which dates back to around 80 million years.

The beast, which is known as a frilled shark, is one of the oldest species which is alive today.

Despite them spending such a long time on the planet, we really don’t know much about them, except it’s one of the oldest living species alive today.

Sic Noticias TV

We also know they have a slim, cylindrical body and a mouth full of 300 razor sharp teeth.

Scientists caught the mysterious creature while working on a project to ‘minimise unwanted catches in commercial fishing, according to Sic Noticias TV.

The shark has extra gills and the male fish measured at 1.5 metres long, caught at a depth of 700 metres.

Other than that, scientists know little about its biological make-up or its preferred environment, though it’s suspected to be somewhere deep in the ocean.

This makes it particularly difficult to study the animal in its natural habitat, as such depths are incredibly difficult and costly to reach by humans.

Professor Margarid Castro, a researcher from the University of the Algarve, said the name comes, as expected, from his arrangement of teeth – which allows them to capture its prey using quick lunges.

Despite the shark being notoriously difficult to observe in its natural habitat, over time, we might well get to see them in glorious 4K, with the velvet tones of David Attenborough telling us its deepest secrets.

This is because the presenting legend has said he’ll keep working past the age of 100, saying he has ‘no plans to retire’.

The veteran presenter told Daily Mail he has absolutely no plans to slow down and is feeling pretty confident he’ll become a centenarian in nine years.

Enjoy the clip below:

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When Sir David was asked if he would consider more series, he said:

Earth has enough wonders to make more than three Planet Earth series.

Best. News. Ever!

As he gets older, he’s regularly asked whether retirement is in the picture, however, he’s always said he’ll ‘keep going until the BBC decide his time is up’. Which is hopefully never.

PA

Asked about his current projects, he revealed:

I have a film about ants behaving in a rather odd way, about ichthyosaurs, which are extinct fossil sea dragons, I have got a programme about eggs and how remarkable eggs are, and I have a story about a Victorian captive elephant.

So those are occupying me at the moment.

Attenborough also recently opened up on the dangers of plastic after witnessing the damage it causes to the environment while filming the hotly-anticipated Blue Planet II.

PA

He said:

We’ve seen albatrosses come back with their belly full of food for their young and nothing in it.

The albatross parent has been away for three weeks gathering stuff for her young and what comes out? What does she give her chick?

You think it’s going to be squid, but it’s plastic. The chick is going to starve and die.

PA

Speaking earlier this year about retirement, or lack of, Sir David told the Radio Times:

If people ask, well, it’s perfectly simple, if I wanted to put my feet up and sit in the corner and slobber, then I could.

But I mean, who wouldn’t be grateful for people coming up and saying, ‘Would you like to go to Trinidad?’ I say, ‘Yes, what will it cost?’ ‘No, no,’ they reply, ‘we’ll pay you!’ Really? Lucky old me.

PA

Sir David was also asked at the Blue Planet II press conference if he might consider a series called Red Planet, focusing on going to space, but he said he has ‘no desire to travel to the moon as there is no nature out there’.

Fair enough.

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