The ancestry of the Whale Sharks is dated back to the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods about 245-65 million years ago. This is when the first group of present sharks began to appear. The discovery of Whale Sharks is relatively new. The first one recorded in history is in 1828 off the coast of South Africa. Prior to the 1980’s, less than 350 sightings had been recorded. Very little is known about their history.

Their closest relatives are two other filter feeding sharks: the Basking Shark and Megamouth Shark. Whale Sharks are also closely related to bottom dwelling sharks like the wobbegong.

Relatives:

Key terms: taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, jurassic, cretaceous.

Citations:

• Vazquez, P. C. and J. (n.d.). Rhincodon typus (whale shark). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhincodon_typus/.

• Whale Shark (rhincodon typus). Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - DAWE. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.awe.gov.au/environment/marine/marine-species/sharks/whale-shark.

• Whale Shark: National Geographic. Animals. (n.d.). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/whale-shark.

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