How did crocs, tortoises and sharks survive the dinosaur extinction? Some studies suggest that the common ancestor of all primates alive today lived before the great dinosaur extinction. Did Megalodon evolve into the whale shark? The factoid shark, which had a hook-like protuberance over its head, was one of a group of small sharks that survived into the era of dinosaurs. not sure but you can look it up by searching earths major mass extinctions.your welcome. Sharks are ancient animals who have existed for more than 400 million years, long before the dinosaurs. Your son also had questions about megalodon and the great white shark. Prehistoric sharks escaped mass extinction 252 million years ago by 'seeking refuge in the depths of the ocean' A site in the South of France, has revealed small shark … How did crocs, tortoises and sharks survive the dinosaur extinction? Wiki User January 31, 2011 1:16AM. VERY few species survived the extinction of the dinausors (because of the whole asteroid thing) which just about wiped the earth clean. But, since 1950, we humans have eliminated 90% of the ocean’s large fish — including sharks. Is it possible that the previously accepted date is wrong? Kids Feedback: What Happened to Megalodon and Other Sea Creatures? Did Megalodon live at the same time as dinosaurs? Megalodon wouldn’t arrive on the scene for another 40 million years. ... you! However, many of the large “dinosaur-type” sea creatures did survive. The International Union for Conservation of Nature now estimates that a quarter of sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. Join … The bigger survivors (sharks, crocodiles, and coelocanths) are all aquatic or semiaquatic. Researchers from the University of Alberta have cast shadow of doubt on this timescale after they examined a fossilised hadrosaur bone that was discovered in New Mexico. The Bible describes both dinosaurs and large sea creatures existing after the Flood. Dive with our sharks...if you dare! Survivalist Sharks: There have been five mass extinction events in Earth's history, and most scientists believe a sixth one is underway. The secrets of how sharks survived so many of Earth's mass extinctions. Although sharks … Sharks, turtles/tortoises, and crocodiles were able to eat a wider variety of foods that may have still been available and are also capable of going long periods of time without eating which would have definitely been to their advantage at that time. Were they just perfectly developed, as is evident in the fact they've remained largely uncahnged for so long? But they didn’t just live amongst dinosaurs, they fed on their young too! Last week, dinosaur fossils were discovered in South America, and it's believed that these dinosaurs died long after the great extinction! No again. We don't have much in the way of direct evidence, except for a handful of fossilized scales, but the first sharks are believed to have evolved during the Ordovician period, about 420 million years ago (to put this into perspective, the first tetrapods didn't crawl up out of the sea until 400 million years ago). The mass extinction of the dinosaurs occurred about 65 million years ago. Take a look at which living animals roamed the earth and swam the oceans alongside dinosaurs – some of them may surprise you! Vegetarianism and liking underwater volcanoes have helped sharks survive for half a billion years. on March 18, 2011. How did sharks survive earths major mass extinction? Dinosaurs 101 Over a thousand dinosaur species once roamed the Earth. No. Question: How did sharks survive so many mass extinctions? ELI5: Why did sharks survive when dinosaurs didn't? Not all species that coexisted with dinosaurs are extinct. How could they survive when so many other species (including most of the other sea-borne dinosaurs) died?