Shark 'graveyard' found in the Egyptian desert? Ancient Cretaceous-era fossilized teeth reveal evidence of a vast sea that once covered the region

An extraordinary discovery in Egypt's Western Desert is giving scientists a glimpse into a world that existed millions of years before the modern desert took shape. Researchers have uncovered fossilized teeth from at least seven species of ancient sharks on the Abu-Tartur Plateau, revealing that the region was once part of a thriving marine ecosystem. The findings, detailed in a study published in Cretaceous Research, add to growing evidence that much of northern Africa was underwater during the Cretaceous period. The discovery is especially striking because the fossil site is now surrounded by one of Earth's most famously arid landscapes.

ANCIENT SHARKS BENEATH EGYPT'S DESERT

The fossils were discovered in the Duwi Formation on the Abu-Tartur Plateau in Egypt's Western Desert. Researchers collected the teeth during expeditions between 2020 and 2022, building on earlier discoveries of shark fossils from the same area. In total, the team identified teeth belonging to at least seven shark species. The findings were led by Tarek Yassin, a paleontologist at Cairo University, along with José David Carrillo-Briceño, Rolf Kindlimann, Ahmed Ibrahim and Mohamed K. AbdelGawad. Their 2026 study, titled 'Egyptian shark graveyard: New Late Cretaceous Lamniform shark Assemblage from Duwi Formation of Abu-Tartur Area, Southwestern Desert, Egypt,' was published in Cretaceous Research. The newly identified teeth include five shark species that had not previously been recorded at Abu-Tartur. Two were new records for Egypt, while Scapanorhynchus cf. raphiodon, an ancient relative of today's goblin sharks, may represent the first known occurrence of the group in Africa.


EGYPT WAS ONCE A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE

The discovery helps explain why shark fossils can be found hundreds of miles from today's coastline. During the Cretaceous period, about 145 million to 66 million years ago, Earth was considerably warmer than it is today. Global sea levels were also much higher, allowing shallow seas to spread across areas that are now dry land. Northern Africa was among the regions affected by these ancient marine conditions. The Abu-Tartur Plateau preserves evidence of that vanished environment. Previous studies in the area have uncovered fossils of fish, sea turtles and other marine reptiles. The rocks are also rich in phosphorite, a type of sedimentary deposit commonly associated with highly productive marine environments. Researchers believe the ancient waters may have been particularly productive because of ocean upwelling. Nutrient-rich water rising from deeper parts of the sea could have fueled plankton growth, which supported fish and other marine organisms. Those animals, in turn, provided food for a diverse community of predators, including sharks.

WHY RESEARCHERS CALL IT A 'GRAVEYARD'

The term 'shark graveyard' makes the discovery sound like scientists found a single mass death site. The reality is more complicated. The fossil bed contains teeth accumulated over time, meaning the seven shark species did not necessarily live together or die at the same moment. Instead, their remains became preserved in the same geological setting across a much longer period. The different shapes of the teeth also provide clues about the sharks' lifestyles. Some were long and needle-like, while others were broad and serrated. These differences suggest that the animals occupied different ecological niches rather than directly competing for exactly the same food. The presence of multiple shark species nevertheless points to a complex and nutrient-rich marine ecosystem. Scientists say the region supported enough life to sustain several large predators.

The discovery does more than add several names to the fossil record. It helps scientists reconstruct how northern Africa looked during a dramatically different chapter of Earth's history. The researchers say the fossil assemblage supports the idea that the area was once a productive sea with suitable temperatures, sunlight and oxygen levels for abundant marine life. Today, the ancient seafloor has been transformed into desert. Yet the fossilized teeth remain embedded in the rocks, preserving fragments of a marine ecosystem that disappeared tens of millions of years ago.

As researchers continue exploring the area, more fossils could emerge and provide additional clues about the ancient sea that once covered parts of what is now Egypt's desert.