Incredible Fossil Shark (Pararhincodon) - Lebanon

This is an amazing specimen from the famous Lagerstätte near Haqil, Lebanon. It's a exquisitely preserved fossil shark of the species Pararhincodon lehmani associated with a large predatory fish Euripholis boissieri as well as 9 small Armigatus brevissimus. Shark fossils are a very rare component of the fauna from this locality.

The fossil shark is 9 inches in length while the entire matrix measures 19x10". There are several repaired cracks in the matrix but other than crack repairs there is no restoration or color enhancement to this piece.

The discovery of amazingly preserved marine fossils near Haqil, Lebanon dates back many centuries. In fact they were first mentioned in writing by Herodotus, over 450 years before the birth of Christ. The first scientific work on these localities began in the 1800's and these deposits have been meticulously quarried by several Lebanese families for over a century.

These deposits represent a warm, shallow sea and have yielded over 70 types of fish as well as numerous other genre found no where else in the world. The preservation on many of these specimens is truly amazing including including examples of soft bodied preservation.

I included several photos of quarrying work at Haqil in the photo set.