00:00Ancient shark fossils discovered in Kentucky's Mammoth Cave reveal prehistoric ocean.
00:05Beneath rolling hills, Mammoth Cave stretches more than 420 miles through dark passages,
00:12limestone walls, and hidden fossil chambers. Researchers found two prehistoric sharks from
00:18shallow seas that covered the region more than 325 million years ago. The sharks belonged to
00:25an ancient group called catenacants, with bodies estimated around 10 to 12 feet long.
00:32One fossil species, Trogloclododus trimblee, came from limestone that once formed under warm coastal
00:38water. Another fossil species, Glickmanius careforum, preserved rare jaw cartilage that usually disappears
00:45before fossilization can happen. Scientists studied teeth, jaws, and fragile remains inside the cave,
00:51where stable conditions protected ancient marine clues. Mammoth Cave fossils now include more than
00:5770 ancient fish species from a lost underwater world. The discovery shows that Kentucky's dry
01:04cave passages once began as seafloor beneath a warm ancient sea. Park researchers now protect fossil
01:11sites while mapping more passages, bones, teeth, and limestone clues underground. The lesson is simple.
01:18The world's largest cave can hide an ocean story older than dinosaurs. When a shark fossil appears in
01:25cave stone, the darkness suddenly fills with ancient water.
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