A paper published in the journal Science revealed the existence of a shark that was wider than it was long thanks to its long wing-like fins. Named the Aquilolamna milarcae It boasted a wingspan of 1.9 metres and likely glided through the water filter-feeding on plankton.
The shark lived from 93 million years ago until an extinction event 66 million years ago led to a decline in plankton in the oceans.
Flinders University palaeontologist John Long said the discovery shows the awesome plasticity of evolution in response to food sources.
Will White, a scientist at CSIRO, agreed that the shark is a perfect example of convergent evolution, as despite being unrelated to manta rays, both animals developed similar structures to adapt to plankton consumption.