Sharks represent one of the main classes of fish to have conquered the seas, and so about 70% of the Earth's surface area. Their cartilaginous skeletons decompose after death so are rarely found as fossils, but their teeth have high preservation potential. The teeth of the largest shark are commonly known under the name of Carcharodon megalodon (from the Greek for "saw-tooth" and "big-tooth", after the serrated edge of the teeth and their great size). A small example is illustrated here (?? mm long), from the Miocene of Malta (and so about 15 million years old) together with the jaws of its closest present-day relative - the Great White Shark, supposedly notorious as the "Man-eater". Vertebrate palaeontology forms part of our core teaching in palaeontology in both first and second years of undergraduate study, and optional course units thereafter. There is also research interest in the Department in the Miocene of Malta, although our recent research in vertebrate palaeontology has focused more on fossil birds (of Gibraltar) and mammals (of England) than sharks.


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