In this undated photo provided by John-Paul Hodnett are a row of teeth on the lower jaw of a 300-million-year-old shark species named this week following a nearly complete skeleton of the species in 2013 in New Mexico. Discoverer Hodnett says it was the short, squat teeth that first alerted him to the possibility that the specimen initially dubbed"Godzilla Shark" could be a species distinct from it's ancient cousins, which have longer, more spear-like teeth.
“Great for grasping and crushing prey rather than piercing prey,” said discoverer John-Paul Hodnett, who was a graduate student when he unearthed the first fossils of the shark at a dig east of Albuquerque in 2013. The name also harkens to the dragon-like jawline and 2.5-foot fin spines that inspired the discovery’s initial nickname, “Godzilla Shark.”The formal naming announcement followed seven years of excavation, preservation and study.