Ancient armored fish evolved two distinct ways to crush prey 385 million years ago
Long before dinosaurs appeared on Earth, fierce predatory fish developed crushing jaws and sharp teeth to survive and diversify in ancient oceans.
Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, fierce armored fish called placoderms evolved distinct ways to crush prey 385 million years ago. Researchers from Flinders University used advanced techniques to uncover how these first vertebrates with jaws and teeth caught their prey on an ancient reef that once covered northern Western Australia.
Surprisingly, placoderms developed two different biting methods: smaller species relied on broad, flat crushing plates to pulverize prey, while larger species evolved weapon-like teeth to pierce and break apart tough exterior shells. The study, published in Scientific Reports, involved finite element analysis and 3D simulations of jaw structures to understand how placoderms adapted to different prey sizes in the ancient ecosystem.
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