Fossil upends theory of how shark skeletons evolved, say scientists

Discovery of early bony fish casts doubt on accepted ideas about evolutionary history of vertebrates

The partial skull of an armoured fish that swam in the oceans over 400m years ago could turn the evolutionary history of sharks on its head, researchers have said.

Bony fish, such as salmon and tuna, as well as almost all terrestrial vertebrates, from birds to humans, have skeletons that end up made of bone. However, the skeletons of sharks are made from a softer material called cartilage - even in adults.