Scientists have uncovered a rare “graveyard” of fossils from extinct sharks in Egypt’s Western Desert, revealing evidence of a marine ecosystem that existed where an arid landscape stretches today.
Researchers found the fossils in phosphate-rich layers of the Duwi Formation in southwestern Egypt. The rocks date to the Late Cretaceous, a period when dinosaurs still lived, and large areas of North Africa were covered by shallow seas.
The discovery includes 14 fossilized shark teeth belonging to five extinct lamniform species, according to research published in the journal Cretaceous Research. Some of the finds represent previously unreported fossil records for Egypt and Africa. Other shark fossils have offered rare insights into extinct predators, including rediscovered megalodon remains that revealed clues about the giant shark’s size and feeding habits.
Five extinct shark species identified
The five sharks were identified as Cretalamna cf. C. maroccana, Scapanorhynchus cf. S. raphiodon, Serratolamna cf. S. serrata, Squalicorax bassanii and Squalicorax pristodontus.
A shark “graveyard” has emerged from Egypt’s desert.
Scientists uncovered 14 fossilized teeth from five extinct shark species in rocks dating to the Late Cretaceous, when much of the region was covered by ancient seas. pic.twitter.com/ZoZkikpprf
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) August 26, 2026
The assemblage gives researchers new evidence about the diversity of sharks that inhabited the region during the Late Cretaceous. It also adds to scientists’ understanding of a landscape that was dramatically different from Egypt’s desert environment today.
The Duwi Formation preserves evidence of the ancient marine conditions that once existed in the region. Its phosphate deposits contain fossils of marine vertebrates that lived when seawater extended across parts of what is now North Africa.
Why shark teeth dominate the fossil record
Shark teeth are particularly important to paleontologists because complete shark fossils are uncommon. Unlike most vertebrates, sharks have skeletons made mainly of cartilage rather than bone. Cartilage usually decomposes before it can fossilize, while the harder teeth are much more likely to survive. In another unusual discovery, researchers previously found a “graveyard” containing hundreds of fossilized shark teeth deep in the Indian Ocean.
That means fossilized teeth often provide much of the evidence scientists use to identify ancient shark species and trace where they lived. Features such as a tooth’s shape, edges and structure can help researchers distinguish one species from another.
The fossils from Egypt therefore provide a record of predators that moved through the region’s ancient waters millions of years ago. Their presence also helps researchers build a clearer picture of the wider marine community supported by those seas.
Egypt’s desert preserves traces of an ancient sea
The discovery highlights how dramatically environments can change over geological time. Similar evidence has emerged, including a fossilized fish found in Crete’s Samaria Gorge, where marine fossils show that rocks now high above sea level once formed beneath an ancient sea. In Egypt, land that is now part of the Sahara likewise once lay beneath seas that supported sharks and other marine animals.
Researchers hope further study and new fossil discoveries in the region will reveal more about the diversity of Late Cretaceous marine life and the conditions in which it lived. Continued work in the Duwi Formation could also help clarify how shark species were distributed across ancient seas in Egypt and elsewhere in Africa.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
