Shark (Great White)

# Evolutionary Timeline of the Great White Shark The Great White Shark (*Carcharodon carcharias*) belongs to a lineage of cartilaginous fish that traces back over 400 million years. Their evolution was shaped by environmental pressures such as mass extinctions, changing ocean temperatures, and prey availability, leading to adaptations like powerful jaws and acute senses. Key milestones include: - **Devonian Period (419-358 million years ago)**: Emergence of early shark ancestors from jawed fish, adapting to marine environments amid rising sea levels. - **Carboniferous Period (358-299 million years ago)**: Diversification of shark forms, with pressures from predatory competition driving improvements in speed and hunting efficiency. - **Cretaceous Period (145-66 million years ago)**: Rise of lamniform sharks, ancestors to the Great White, influenced by abundant marine reptiles and fish as prey. - **Paleogene Period (66-23 million years ago)**: Post-extinction recovery; development of large predatory forms like early *Carcharodon* species amid warming oceans. - **Miocene Epoch (23-5.3 million years ago)**: Appearance of the modern Great White around 16 million years ago, evolving from mako-like sharks (*Isurus* spp.), with climate cooling favoring warm-blooded traits for hunting in diverse waters.