Fossil of extinct shark retrieved from Dhofar

Muscat: A mega‐tooth, dating back 5,500 years, belonging to an extinct shark has been found in Dhofar governorate.

The research titled 'The tooth of a giant sea creature Otodus (Megaselachus) in the material culture of Neolithic maritime hunter‐gatherers at Sharbithat (Sultanate of Oman)' has been published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. The research says, "A mega‐tooth belonging to a Miocene fossil shark was discovered along the shores of the Arabian Sea inside one of the Neolithic domestic settlements at Sharbithat (Sultanate of Oman). Attributed to a representative of the extinct genus Otodus (Megaselachus)."

This tooth is the first ever to be discovered in the Arabian Peninsula. In the field, research permitted the localisation and study of the palaeontological deposit a few kilometres away from where this retrieval was made. The research said, "The shark, traditionally extensively hunted on the shores of the Arabian Sea, is well attested in the region's Neolithic ichthyological assemblages. Moreover, during this period, some groups of seaborne hunters were specialized in this form of fishing, which was indeed quite dangerous."

"But," the researchers ask, "why did an individual some 5,500 years ago collect this curio, an unusual fossil, but also one he could easily recognize? The fossils of large sharks sometimes played an important part in ancient societies. Could this also have been the case in South‐Eastern Arabia?"