Helicoprion, the buzz-saw shark, one of the truly unique ancient animals
September 19, 2016 10:57 AM   Subscribe

The fossil remains of Helicoprion are limited to some crushed cartilage and its teeth, which aren't unusual for fossil remains of sharks and shark-like fish. But those teeth are unique: formed in a spiral saw-type formation, known as a spiral dentition or toothwhorl, with the older teeth pushed into the center of the spiral by the newer teeth. Since a whorl was first discovered in 1899, there have been a number of theories about how the teeth were used, leading to numerous creative but largely untested reconstructions, until 2013, when a new CT scan enabled the researchers to make a new, improved reconstruction of Helicoprion. That scientific article is not so visually exciting, so let's enjoy Ray Troll's illustrations, and Mary Parrish's updated illustration.

Previously: "it is an unusual shark in that it has a spiral dentition." (January 27, 2010)

Also previously: Cruisin’ the Fossil Freeway (February 6, 2010), and even more: The art of Ray Troll (March 10, 2003)

More fun: Tease of the Buzzsaw Sharks of Idaho (YouTube, higher quality (and spell-checked) version on Vimeo), about Ray Troll's obsession with Helicoprion, and a peak at the computer model mentioned above the break. Warning: salmon decapitation.
posted by filthy light thief (11 comments total) 17 users marked this as a favorite
 
I wonder if this dentition has any relationship to the teeth of lampreys?
posted by Flashman at 11:15 AM on September 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


So they were in the throat, and acted like the spikes in a leatherback turtle's throat - preventing soft-bodied animals like jellyfish from slipping back out. Neat!
posted by Slap*Happy at 11:23 AM on September 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


I look forward tp the inevitable film franchise entry featuring the "monster shark" version of this rough beastie on Syfy. Hmmm, buzz saw--> wood---> trees---> forests----> Bigfoot. Buzzsaw Shark VS. Sasquatch, perhaps?
posted by KingEdRa at 11:34 AM on September 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


I predict that in the next Sharknado, whatshisface will use a helicoprion as a chainsaw.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 11:59 AM on September 19, 2016


I really do not get how this would have worked.

Maybe it would help to look at peculiar creatures that were swimming around with it that it might have specialized in eating and which also went extinct 250 MY ago, but the problem there is that -250 MY was around the time of one of the biggest extinction events the Earth has ever experienced -- much bigger than the event in which the dinosaurs perished, for example.
posted by jamjam at 12:40 PM on September 19, 2016


Ray Troll has an excellent illustration of how it might have worked: It's the crimp and rip!
posted by phooky at 2:32 PM on September 19, 2016 [2 favorites]


The linked paper offers a discussion of why the whorl may have not been in the jaw, but in the throat, like slap*happy was saying. unfortunately, that's not as fun to draw...
posted by eustatic at 7:38 PM on September 19, 2016


I'm so glad that several others have already plugged Ray's work, because as his next-door neighbor it would be crass for me to do so.

But Ray's an awesome guy and he loves this kind of stuff. If one of his exhibits comes to a museum near you, go to his opening presentation if he gives one. His enthusiasm for the subject matter is infectious.
posted by Nerd of the North at 10:18 PM on September 19, 2016 [3 favorites]


Misread this as HeliScorpion and thought "great another one of those stupid SyFy movies".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 4:41 AM on September 20, 2016


Buzzsaw Shark VS. Sasquatch, perhaps?

Buzzsaw Shark vs. Chainsaw Sasquatch, if you please.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:55 AM on September 20, 2016


Not Chain Sawsquatch ?
posted by jamjam at 12:00 PM on September 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


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