This small exhibit shows an amazing predator: the great white shark( Carcharodon carcharias). Many sharks are efficient and specialized hunters that have thrived for millions of years. Although many people are told that sharks are primitive in comparison to other groups, this is not true. Unlike the true fishes, sharks do not have internal bone, but instead have a cartilaginous skeleton. For example, sharks have existed as a group for over 350 million years! Today, sharks and rays (elasmobranchs) are represented by over 600 species that show a remarkable range of ecological and morphological diversity. Some living groups have ancient histories.
Many paleontologists are very interested in living groups, because the study of the living organisms can both unlock their evolutionary history and provide important keys towards interpreting their fossil record.
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