Fossil tooth spiral

The fossil tooth whorl of the ancient shark Helicoprion, dating back 290 million years before present. For a long time, people didn't know what the shark looked like—but, thanks to a CT scan of a fossil, researchers finally put the pieces together in 2013. Read more about this story in our great white shark overview, and learn more about top predators like Helicoprion in the Ocean Over Time section.

Fossil tooth whorl of ancient shark.
© Chip Clark/Smithsonian Institution

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