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This marked the emergence of thousands of sharks that slowly evolved into the species that we see today, including the great white.
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As many as 95% of species were killed, perhaps due to either a comet impact or volcanic activity. Five major mass extinction events occurred during the past 439 million years.
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Over 400 million years ago, innumerable species of bony fish and marine organisms inhabited the Earth's seas.
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During this time the earliest sharks appeared, as well as the first coral reefs.
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The oldest fossilized evidence of prehistoric sharks comes from shark-like scales.
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The Cambrian saw the rise of nearly all modern Phyla. Early invertebrates appeared, including the Trilobites, as well as the first primitive vertebrates.
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The greatest of all sharks inhabited the Earth. The immense beast could reach 65 feet in length and could weigh 30 tons, comparable to an average-sized sperm whale.
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A federal court in San Francisco issued a ruling upholding landmark legislation prohibiting the sale of shark fins in California.
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First jawed fish made their appearance. They are the ancestors of both bony fish and sharks.
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This includes a fossilized shark braincase, possibly a Xenacanth, found in Australia. Other remains of this or similar species have been found in Antartica and Saudi Arabia.
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The first advanced single-celled life appeared, as well as early multi-cellular life forms.
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Earliest life forms appear, which included basic bacteria and cynobacteria.
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The formation of the Earth occured and silver shark fossils were found.
