Sharks first appeared over 400 million years ago and swam the ancient oceans long before trees grew on land. Early sharks like Cladoselache had torpedo-shaped bodies built for speed in nutrient-rich waters. The first true trees appeared around 350 million years ago, with species such as Archaeopteris showing features of both ferns and modern trees. Life on land was harsh, with intense UV radiation and wild temperature swings, while the seas offered a stable environment. Sharks have survived five

Sharks are among the oldest living creatures on Earth, existing long before trees appeared and surviving multiple global extinction events. • Sharks first appeared over 400 million years ago. • Trees evolved much later, around 350 million years ago. • Sharks survived at least five mass extinction events. • Their bodies evolved for efficient swimming and energy conservation. • They possess highly advanced sensory systems, including electroreception. • Flexible cartilage skeletons made them adapta

Sharks are among the oldest living creatures on Earth, with a lineage stretching back around 450 million years. This remarkable history means that sharks predate the emergence of trees by approximately 65 million years. Their ancestors appeared in the late Ordovician period, a time when life was primarily confined to the oceans, and the planet’s first complex ecosystems were beginning to develop. Over the millennia, sharks have evolved into a diverse group of species, displaying an extraordinary