{"id":427973,"date":"2026-05-14T22:18:06","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/427973\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T22:18:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T22:18:06","slug":"330-million-year-old-shark-remains-unearthed-in-ireland-reveal-a-lost-prehistoric-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/427973\/","title":{"rendered":"330-Million-Year-Old Shark Remains Unearthed In Ireland Reveal A Lost Prehistoric Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

A remarkable fossil discovery in Ireland has uncovered the remains of ancient sharks that swam through tropical seas more than 330 million years ago, offering scientists a rare new glimpse into one of Earth\u2019s forgotten marine worlds. Researchers working with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the National Museum of Ireland say the fossils, discovered in County Clare and Donegal, include prehistoric shark teeth and a fossilized fin spine linked to species that existed long before dinosaurs appeared. The discoveries are attracting global scientific interest because they represent the first fossil fish ever recorded from some of these Irish locations.<\/p>\n

Ancient Shark Fossils Discovered In Ireland\u2019s Rocky Landscapes<\/p>\n

The fossils were found separately in the Burren and in Donegal by members of Ireland\u2019s National Parks and Wildlife Service<\/a> and local guide Cormac McGinley. Scientists later identified the Burren teeth as belonging to Psephodus magnus, a rare prehistoric shark equipped with thick crushing dental plates used to feed on hard-shelled prey across the seafloor.<\/p>\n

Researchers say this species occupied ancient marine ecosystems during the Carboniferous period, when much of Ireland lay beneath warm shallow seas filled with primitive aquatic life. Although modern sharks evolved far beyond these ancient species, scientists note that Psephodus shares distant evolutionary connections with modern deep-sea ratfish.<\/p>\n

The Donegal fossil revealed another significant piece of prehistoric history. The fin spine belonged to Oracanthus milleri, part of an extinct group known as acanthodians, often referred to as \u201cspiny sharks.\u201d These ancient fish lived over 400 million years ago and are considered part of the broader evolutionary lineage from which modern sharks eventually emerged.<\/p>\n

The fossils were identified by Dr Eamon Doyle of Clare County Council and the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark alongside Dr Wayne Itano of the University of Colorado Boulder and Dr Aodh\u00e1n \u00d3 Gog\u00e1in of the National Museum of Ireland.<\/p>\n

Scientists Say The Discoveries Open A New Window Into Shark Evolution<\/p>\n

Researchers involved in the study say the discoveries hold major scientific value because fossil fish <\/a>from these locations had never previously been documented. The fossils now provide new evidence about marine biodiversity during the Carboniferous period and could help scientists better understand how early sharks evolved in prehistoric oceans.<\/p>\n

Lead author Dr Eamon Doyle described the significance of the discoveries in comments released with the research:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was exciting to be notified of these discoveries, as they are the first ever records of any kind of fossil fish from these locations. In addition, it is important to note that they were not found by trained palaeontologists but by people who keep an eye out for interesting things in the rocks where they work \u2013 a good example of citizen science.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discoveries also highlight the growing role of citizen science in paleontology. Rather than being uncovered during a formal excavation, the fossils were identified by people working and exploring in fossil-rich landscapes. Scientists say this kind of public awareness remains valuable in regions where exposed rock formations preserve traces of ancient ecosystems stretching back hundreds of millions of years.<\/p>\n

The research paper documenting the discoveries has been released as an open-access preprint, allowing researchers worldwide to study the material while further investigations continue.<\/p>\n

\"5076870Crusher tooth of fossil shark Psephodus magnus (6cm long) discovered by Emma Glanville (NPWS) in the Burren National Park.
Credit: Eamon Ward.<\/p>\n

Prehistoric Seas Once Covered Large Parts Of Ireland<\/p>\n

During the Carboniferous period, Ireland looked dramatically different from today. Much of the region sat near the equator beneath warm tropical waters populated by primitive fish, early sharks, and marine invertebrates. Fossils preserved in limestone formations across western Ireland continue to reveal fragments of this ancient underwater environment.<\/p>\n

Scientists believe Psephodus magnus likely spent much of its time feeding along the seabed, crushing shellfish and armored prey using specialized dental plates. Fossils from this species remain relatively rare, making the Irish discoveries valuable additions to the global fossil record.<\/p>\n

Dr Wayne Itano emphasized that scientists still know surprisingly little about many early shark species despite decades of research:<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite having worked on these types of fossil sharks for many years there is still a huge amount that is unknown about them, so every new find is significant. These Irish examples add to the evolving global story of ancient fossil sharks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers hope the fossils will contribute to broader international studies focused on early vertebrate evolution and the diversification of shark-like species across ancient oceans.<\/p>\n

Researchers Hope More Fossils Remain Hidden In Ireland<\/p>\n

The scientific team says formally documenting the fossils was an important step in preserving the discoveries for future generations of researchers and the public. Ireland\u2019s Carboniferous rock formations remain relatively underexplored compared to other fossil-rich regions, raising the possibility that more ancient marine species could still be waiting to be uncovered.<\/p>\n

Dr Aodh\u00e1n \u00d3 Gog\u00e1in stressed the long-term scientific value of properly recording the finds:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was important to record these finds scientifically in a peer-reviewed journal that will be a permanent record available to other palaeontologists and the general public for generations to come. Further research is ongoing and we hope to add to these finds in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n

The discoveries also reinforce the Burren\u2019s reputation as one of Europe\u2019s most geologically significant landscapes. Known globally for its limestone terrain and biodiversity, the region continues to reveal evidence of ecosystems that existed hundreds of millions of years before humans appeared.<\/p>\n

Phoebe Larkin of the National Parks and Wildlife Service said the discoveries connect Ireland\u2019s modern biodiversity with its ancient environmental history:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the primary focus of the NPWS is on modern-day biodiversity, it is important to note that the Burren contains a significant record of ancient biodiversity as well, and we are delighted to have contributed this new material.\u201d<\/p>\n

Scientists believe additional fossil discoveries across Ireland may help reconstruct a clearer picture of the ancient seas that once covered the region and the strange shark species that ruled them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A remarkable fossil discovery in Ireland has uncovered the remains of ancient sharks that swam through tropical seas…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427974,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[273,111,139,69,147],"class_list":["post-427973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-environment","tag-environment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz","tag-science"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}