Sharks were already swimming in Earth's oceans millions of years before the first true trees appeared.
DID YOU KNOW?
SHARKS ARE OLDER THAN TREES!
The earliest shark-like animals appeared roughly 450 million years ago.
That's incredibly long before humans—and even before dinosaurs.
How Old Are Sharks?
The first plants with tree-like forms appeared around 385 million years ago.
So sharks had already existed for tens of millions of years.
What About Trees?
When ancient sharks were already swimming through Earth's oceans...There were no modern forests covering the land.Earth looked dramatically different from today.
No Forests Yet
The first dinosaurs appeared around 230 million years ago.That means sharks had already been around for more than 200 million years before dinosaurs appeared.
Dinosaurs Came Much Later
Sharks have survived several major changes and mass extinction events throughout Earth's history.Their long evolutionary history is one reason they're often described as ancient survivors.
Sharks Survived Mass Extinctions
Sharks have survived several major changes and mass extinction events throughout Earth's history.Their long evolutionary history is one reason they're often described as ancient survivors.
Sharks Survived Mass Extinctions
Sharks have evolved over hundreds of millions of years, with many different species appearing and disappearing.
Sharks Didn't Stay the Same
Sharks — ~450 million years agoFirst trees — ~385 million years agoDinosaurs — ~230 million years agoModern humans — ~300,000 years ago
One Incredible Timeline
They had already been evolving in Earth's oceans tens of millions of years before the first true trees appeared.