Palaeontology

Fossil of gigantic predatory fish unearthed

By T.K. Randall
July 7, 2020 ·  3 comments

Imagine running into this while swimming... Image Credit: CC BY 3.0 Johnson Mortimer Animals tended to be a lot larger back during the age of the dinosaurs and the fish that frequented the rivers and oceans during this time were certainly no exception.

On Monday, researchers in Argentina reported the discovery of the fossil remains of a gargantuan predatory fish measuring more than six meters in length near Patagonia's Colhue Huapial lake.Known as Xiphactinus , this terrifying aquatic predator lived in the ocean during the Cretaceous period when global temperatures were much higher than they are today.

"Its body was notably slim and ended in a huge head with big jaws and teeth as sharp as needles, several centimeters long," the researchers wrote.

[It was] amongst the largest predatory fish that existed in the history of Earth."

This fossil belonged to the Xiphactinus genus, "amongst the largest predatory fish that existed in the history of Earth".https://t.co/h5Ube0ynFU

— Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) July 7, 2020

Source: MSN | Comments (3)

Tags: Prehistoric, Fish