Sharks are older than trees.

Sharks are older than trees.

Sharks are older than trees

Sharks have existed for more than 450 million years, whereas the earliest tree, lived around 350 million years ago. Not only are sharks older than trees, but they are also one of the only animals to have survived four of the five mass extinctions – now that's impressive.

Greenland sharks

The Greenland shark is the oldest known shark in the world. The shark's longevity was only recently discovered in 2016 when a group of scientists analyzed 28 female Greenland sharks. They determined that the Greenland sharks were at least 272 years old, but may potentially be over 500 years old.

450 million years

The earliest fossil evidence for sharks or their ancestors are a few scales dating to 450 million years ago, during the Late Ordovician Period. Emma Bernard, a curator of fossil fish at the Museum, says, 'Shark-like scales from the Late Ordovician have been found, but no teeth.