Real news. Real stories. Real voices.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Supported by

Big, Toothy Fish Found In Nevada Chomped Prey Like Sharks

ELKO, Nev. (AP) — A fossil found in northeastern Nevada shows a newly discovered fish species that scientists believe looked, and ate, like a shark.

The Reno Gazette-Journal reportsthe fossil is what remains of a bony, sharp-toothed fish that would have been about six-feet-long with long jaws and layers of sharp teeth.

The type of jaw and teeth on the fish suggest it would have chomped down on its prey before swallowing it whole, like a shark.

Sponsor Message

The fish, which researchers called Birgeria americana, predates Nevada's most famous fossil, the Ichthyosaur, by more than 30 million years. The Ichthyosaur was a 55-foot-long reptile. One of the largest concentrations of Ichthyosaur fossils was found near Berlin, Nevada. The find led to the Ichthyosaur becoming Nevada's state fossil.

Related Stories