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In 2013, paleontologist John-Paul Hodnett stumbled upon a 300-million-year-old fossil near Albuquerque, New Mexico. The fossil revealed a complete skeleton of a 6.7-foot-long shark with powerful jaws and long fin spines; an appearance that earned the creature the nickname, Godzilla shark. Now, finally after eight years the Godzilla shark has a real, taxonomic name. Although it’s not nearly as cool.
Smithsonian Magazine reported on the official naming, which comes following years of work to clean and stabilize the fossil. The researchers, working at a lab at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS), also compared CT scans of the fossil to those of other ancient sharks in an effort to identify it.
300-Million-Year-Old Godzilla Shark Discovered in New Mexico Gets a New Name
Fossils of the 6.7-foot-long monster were unearthed accidentally in 2013 when a team of researchers was studying rocks at the spot. By Edited by Gadgets 360 Newsdesk | Updated: 19 April 2021 15:03 IST
Photo Credit: New Mexico Culture
Godzilla Shark is now known as Hoffman’s Dragon Shark
Highlights
Hodnett and his team found out that it was a new kind of shark
They named it ‘Dracopristis Hoffmanorum
Godzilla Shark, a monster shark whose fossilised skeleton was discovered in New Mexico in 2013, has been named ‘Dracopristis Hoffmanorum , or ‘Hoffman s Dragon Shark , by researchers. The fossils of the 6.7-foot-long shark that lived 300 million years ago were unearthed during a dig at the Manzano Mountains, about 50km from Albuquerque in New Mexico, by a graduate student, John-Paul Hodnett. Initially, due to its features, the monster was nicknamed ‘Godzilla Sha
「ゴジラ・シャーク」はサメとは別種 歯の違いから断定 3億年前のミステリー― スポニチ Sponichi Annex 社会 sponichi.co.jp - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sponichi.co.jp Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Godzilla Shark, the 300-million-year-old fossil discovered in New Mexico, gets an official name
Taylor ArdreyApr 17, 2021, 21:51 IST
In this undated photo provided by John-Paul Hodnett is a single tooth on the lower jaw of a 300-million-year-old shark species named this week following a nearly complete skeleton of the species in 2013 in New Mexico.John-Paul Hodnett via AP
Scientists finally named an ancient shark fossil that was found in 2013, according to the AP.
Once named, Gorilla Shark, researchers renamed the 300 million old shark Dracopristis hoffmanorum.
The shark was named after the Hoffman family who owned the land where the fossil was found,a news release said.
Godzilla Shark, the 300-million-year-old fossil discovered in New Mexico, gets an official name businessinsider.co.za - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from businessinsider.co.za Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.