Pathfinder

Prehistoric & Sharks Today

Researching a topic

This page is based on my book project with Scholastic. I researched the top prehistoric sharks and come up with a list of the top 25-35 sharks for this project. While you can Subject Search Words for Prehistoric Sharks or search for Sharks and related subjects like Prehistoric as well as some of the early shark's names like Megalodon or Great White or their scientific names like Carcharodon carcharias, Helicoprion, and more, I am providing you with some of the videos and links I used to write this book.

Dewey call numbers for Sharks include these in the 590 section:

597 Sharks,

593 Ocean Life, and even

569 Prehistoric

Two TedEd Lessons to Warm Up Your Thinking About Sharks

Why are sharks so awesome? - Tierney Thys

Why no aquarium has a great white shark

Prehistoric Sharks, Sharks of Long Ago

Research Links Used for the Book, DINOSHARKS!

Below you will find ways to search for Prehistoric AND Sharks OR Prehistoric Sharks so you can have fun investigating sharks in the classroom.

Prehistoric Evidence from Fossils

Behrensmeyer, A. K., and A. Turner. (2013). Taxonomic occurrences of Suidae recorded in the Paleobiology Database. Fossilworks. Retrieved from http://fossilworks.org.

Tooth fossils and other remains can be explored here that prove the lineage of sharks.

Fossil Museum. (2016). “Museum Fish Fossils.” The Virtual Fossil Museum. Retrieved from http://www.fossilmuseum.net/museum-fish-fossils.htm

This website provides a glimpse at some of the fossils that helped to identify early sharks. It's amazing all we have discovered from mostly tooth fossils. We can discover what sharks wrestled with what early dinosaurs and so much more.

Ten Strangest Sharks

Prehistoric Sharks: Ten Strangest Sharks

Origins Explained. (April 2018). “Strangest Prehistoric Sharks That Ever Lived!” Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJSDm1B7nhg.

The early sharks were sure interesting creatures and some of them had very unique features. This video provides a perfect overview for opening a shark-exploration in any classroom.

Sharks-World.com. (2017). Prehistoric Sharks. BioExposition Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.sharks-world.com/prehistoric_sharks/

This website lists a variety of prehistoric sharks and includes their scientific name. It's a great, quick overview for shark enthusiasts.

Prehistoric Sharks: Top Ten and Other Listings

Prehistoric Wildlife. (2011). “Top Ten Prehistoric Sharks.” Prehistoric-Wildlife.com. Retrieved from http://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/top-tens/top-ten-prehistoric-sharks.html

Another visual listing of prehistoric sharks, which provides a perfect overview for opening to launching any lesson or shark exploration in the classroom.

Rogers, M. (2016). “Prehistoric Sharks.” Sharksider.com. Retrieved from https://www.sharks-world.com/prehistoric_sharks/

This website really focuses on size and general dietary information about the various sharks. it would provide an easy way to see that not all prehistoric sharks were as huge as the Megalodon.

Sharks-world.com. (2017). Prehistoric Sharks. Sharks-World. Retrieved from https://www.sharks-world.com/prehistoric_sharks/ (Image © sharks-world.com) This website lists a variety of prehistoric sharks and includes their scientific name. It's a great, quick overview for shark enthusiasts.

Carcharondon Carcharias: Tracing Ancestry of the Great White

Kevin G. Nyberg, Ciampaglio, C., & Wray, G. (2006). Tracing the Ancestry of the Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, Using Morphometric Analyses of Fossil Teeth. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 26(4), 806-814. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/4524633

An ideal resource for older readers, this article discusses how an analysis of fossil teeth has provided us with a means to understand what certain sharks ate and how and, often, where they lived.

Cladoselache: The First Modern-Looking Shark Leads to Others

Strauss, B. (March 2017). “Prehistoric Shark Pictures and Profiles.” Thought Co. https://www.thoughtco.com/prehistoric-shark-pictures-and-profiles-4043338

This source provides an overview of the many prehistoric sharks, including mention of the Leonodus, which little is known about it, and is a great visual overview on prehistoric sharks before you send kids in to investigate a certain shark.

Cretoxyrhina youTube

Cretoxyrhina: Fastest, Sharp-Cutting 'Ginsu' Shark

Black, Riley. (August 20, 2013). When Sharks Ate Dinosaurs. National Geographic. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/when-sharks-ate-dinosaurs. (Art adapted from original by Dmitry Bogdanov, shared under GNU Free Documentation License.)

I think when we think about sharks, we believe they followed the dinosaur; however, the shark predated the dinosaur, for sure.

Curtice, Brian. (August 16, 2020). Cretoxyrhina mantelli, a Late Cretaceous Kansas Shark Larger than Great White Sharks Today. Fossil Crates. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/7nlJq5hmhDw.

There's always that desire to find that shark that was larger or longer than the Megalodon, and this one comes close. kids can read up on what Curtice's shows.

Helicoprion youTube

Helicoprion: Odd, Ancient Buzz-Saw Shark

Wade, Jeremy & Dr. Leif Tapanila. (April 21, 2015). Animal Hunting Down an Ancient 'Buzzsaw Killer': The Helicoprion [Video ]. Animal Planet. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/0lfZxoCgMEc. (Image © 2013, Ray Troll)

This video shares how one scientist discovered what the Helicoprion shark's mouth looked like. It can be used with the activity below.

Megalodon youTube

Megalodon: Could the Meg Shark Still Be Lurking?

Shefsky, Jay. (2018). Could the Giant Prehistoric Megalodon Still Be Lurking? Chicago Tonight. WTTW News. Retrieved from https://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2018/08/16/could-giant-prehistoric-shark-meg-still-be-lurking (Image © WTTWNews.com)

Curtice, Brian. (August 23, 2020). Otodus (=Carcharocles) megalodon - the largest predatory shark that ever lived! Fossil Crates. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1z6dw_K73c

Megalodon: Evolution, Biggest Shark to Ever Live

Black, Riley. (August 9, 2018). Megalodon Wasn't the Only Impressive Shark in the Prehistoric Seas. SmithsonianMagazine.com. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/megalodon-wasnt-only-impressive-shark-prehistoric-seas-180969967/ (Image © Smithsonian Magazine)

Megalodon: Revealing True Size of Prehistoric Shark

Bressan, David. (September 4, 2020). Researchers Have Determined How Big Megalodons Could Get. Forbes.com. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2020/09/04/growth-of-modern-sharks-reveals-true-scale-of-megalodon-shark/?sh=4effa7834b50

Discovery. (September 4, 2020). New Study Reveals True Size of Megalodon. Retrieved from https://www.discovery.com/shark-week

Megaspriggina: Teeny Fossil Fish, Shark Ancestor

Long, John A. (June 11, 2014). Oldest Fish in the World Lived 500 Million Years Ago. https://theconversation.com/the-oldest-fish-in-the-world-lived-500-million-years-ago-27710

Imagine! This Megaspriggina is tiny! What an amazing concept: that all sharks and vertebrates beckon back to this teeny, worm-like creature. That's amazing stuff. Watch for yourself.

Zimmer, Carl. (June 11, 2014). A Long-Ago Ancestor With Jaws To Come. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/science/a-long-ago-ancestor-a-little-fish-with-incipient-jaws.html (Video © The New York Times)

Scapanorthyrnchus: Long, Flat-Nosed Goblin Shark

Mehta, Aalok. (February 8, 2007). Rare "Prehistoric" Goblin Shark Caught in Japan. Discovery.com. Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/japan-goblin-shark-caught-animals (image © Reuters/Tokyo Sea Life Park Handout)

Squalicorax: Fierce-Biting Crow Shark

Wu, Katherine J. (October 5, 2018). Prehistoric Sharks Chowed Down on Pterosaurs [Squalicorax]. SmithsonianMag.com. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/prehistoric-sharks-chowed-down-pterosaurs-180970476/. (Image © Smithsonian Magazine)

Hybodus: Humped-Tooth Thresher Shark

Strauss, Bob. (August 9, 2020). Hybodus, the Prehistoric Shark. ThoughtCo. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-of-hybodus-1093672

Watch Sharks Live in Real Time

Live Video Shark Cam

Fun Friday - Creative Writing Activity

The Day I Woke Up With A Helicoprion Shark's Mouth

Image © Matt Collins, Scientifi

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.A

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.B

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3.C

Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one-time frame or setting to another.

Explore Sharks Today - Reading Groups

Students As Reporters

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.7.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a [video] text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

Activity 2.0: Break students into groups and have them work as a team to create a PowerPoint presentation about what they learned about sharks, based on the video and topics below:

Reading Group 1 - How Do We Avoid Shark Attacks?

Reading Group 2 - Do Sharks Need to Keep Swimming to Breathe?

Reading Group 3 - What Are A Shark's Electrosensory Super Powers?

Reading Group 4 - What Shark is More Deadly than the Great White?

Reading Group 5 - What Brings Sharks to the Sea Mount by the Thousands?

Reading Group 6 - Do Sharks Sleep?

Create A Class Blog

Student Bloggers 2.0

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

Activity 2.0: Select topics that impact sharks, such as Going Green, Global Warming, Plastics that impact them today and have them blog about it.

C O N N E C T O R: Our Plastic Issues