Cladoselache fossil map
Where fossils of Cladoselache have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 360 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 360 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ancient fish & sharks |
|---|---|
| Lived | 372.15–358.86 million years ago (Famennian) |
| Periods | Devonian |
| Family | Cladoselachidae |
| Named by | Dean 1894 |
| Fossil records | 3 occurrences at 3 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Cleveland Shale, txn:124920, Chagrin Shale |
About Cladoselache
Cladoselache ("branch shark") is an extinct genus of shark-like cartilaginous fish from the Late Devonian (Famennian) of North America. It was similar in body shape to modern lamnid sharks (such as mako sharks and the great white shark), but was not closely related to lamnids or to any other modern (selachian) shark. As an early chondrichthyan, it had yet to evolve traits of modern sharks such as accelerated tooth replacement, a loose jaw suspension, enameloid teeth, and possibly claspers.
Some 20th century studies considered Cladoselache to be a basal (early-diverging) member of Elasmobranchii, the fork of cartilaginous fish which leads to modern sharks and rays. More recent studies have identified distinctive traits of the chondrocranium (cartilaginous braincase), dorsal fin spines, and pectoral fin bases. These newly identified features support a close relationship to symmoriiforms, a small group of bizarre chondrichthyans such as the bristle-spined Stethacanthus. Cladoselache and symmoriiforms may be more closely related to chimaeras (a modern group of unusual deep-sea fish) than to true sharks and rays.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Cladoselache (revision 1381246450), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 22 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in.
