In Toothy Prequel, Piranha-Like Fish Menaced Jurassic Seas

You can call it a prehistoric prequel. Scientists said on Thursday they have unearthed in southern Germany the fossil of a fish that, with its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, strongly resembled today’s piranhas, the stars of more than their fair share of Hollywood horror films. But this one lived during the Jurassic Period 152 million years ago. Named Piranhamesodon pinnatomus, it is the earliest known example of a bony fish — as opposed to cartilaginous fish like sharks — able to...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - jeudi 18 octobre 2018