Sharks Predate Trees Evolutionarily

Long before any creature could rest in the shade of a forest, Earth was primarily a water world. It was in these ancient oceans, during the Devonian Period more than 400 million years ago, that sharks first began to patrol. These early ancestors were not identical to modern species, but they established a remarkably successful cartilaginous design that would stand the test of time. While they thrived, the planet's landmasses were still largely barren, home only to small, non-woody plants. The world's first true forests were still a distant future.

It wasn't until around 350 million years ago that the first tree-like plants, such as Archaeopteris, began to rise, creating novel ecosystems on land. By this point, sharks were already evolutionary veterans with a 50-million-year history. This incredible staying power is perhaps their most defining feature. They have weathered five catastrophic mass extinctions, including the asteroid impact that eliminated the non-avian dinosaurs. Their secret