Cladoselache was a 6 foot long primitive proto-shark which lived during the late Devonian Period 370-360 million years ago.
Several publications from the 20th Century state that Cladoselache was the oldest-known shark. However, studies from the early 2000s onwards have shown that Cladoselache was actually not a true shark but a close relative. One article from 2017 even asserted that it was more closely related to chimaeras than to sharks, and this idea was repeated in 2020.
Ten different species have been ascribed to the genus Cladoselache, all of which have been found in North America within rocks dating to the end of the Devonian Period, especially within the Cleveland Shale Formation of Ohio. Multiple specimens of Cladoselache have been found including several complete skeletons along with body outlines, which give us a very good idea of what the creature looked like. The largest specimen measured 6 feet long. Due to its streamlined shape and its broad crescent tail, Cladoselache is believed to have been a very fast and agile predator similar to a modern-day Mako Shark.
Cladoselache fyleri. © Jason R. Abdale (May 5, 2026).
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Categories: Paleontology, Uncategorized
DINOSAURS AND BARBARIANS 
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