Mmastodon ScienceScience first seen 1 d ago, last 16 h ago, peak #1

Sharks are older than trees, and Saturn's rings

Original: Sharks are older than trees. 🦈 The earliest shark-like scales date back ~450 million years. Trees showed up around 385 m

Sharks predate trees by tens of millions of years: the earliest shark-like scales date back roughly 450 million years, while trees appeared around 385 million years ago. The fact, shared widely online, adds that Saturn's rings are likely no more than 400 million years old — meaning sharks swam the oceans before trees stood and before the planet's famous rings formed.

Why now: The striking comparison of deep-time timelines is a surprising, shareable science fact.

sharkstreesSaturnSaturn's rings

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Evidence

• Sharks are older than trees. 🦈 The earliest shark-like scales date back ~450 million years. Trees showed up around 385 million years ago — and Saturn's rings are even younger, likely no more than 400 million years old. So sharks swam the oceans before trees stood, before… · eatrics · 30

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