FACT CHECK #O_BDUAGK

WHAT WE FOUND

Multiple high-credibility sources confirm that the evolutionary lineage of sharks dates back approximately 450 million years 245. This timeline places their arrival during the Late Ordovician Period, which occurred well before the first trees appeared in the fossil record 36. The earliest organism classified as a tree, the extinct Archaeopteris, did not appear until roughly 350 million years ago 8. This scientific data indicates that sharks are nearly 100 million years older than trees 9. Furthermore, sharks also predate other significant astronomical and geological features, including Saturn's rings, the Pleiades cluster, and the North Star 57.

SOURCES

1. 1 · oceanservice.noaa.govACADEMIC
   How long do Greenland sharks live? - NOAA's National Ocean Service

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2. 2 · snopes.comFACT-CHECKER
   Have Sharks Existed Longer Than the North Star? | Snopes.com

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3. 3 · nhm.ac.ukACADEMIC
   Shark evolution: a 450 million year timeline | Natural History Museum

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4. 4 · iflscience.comACADEMIC
   Sharks Are 450 Million Years Old, Meaning They Were Here Before ...

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5. 5 · popularmechanics.comACADEMIC
   Sharks Are Older Than Trees, Which Seems Wrong

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6. 6 · lowell.eduACADEMIC
   Sharks vs. the Universe: Just How Old Are Sharks Compared to the ...

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7. 7 · syfy.comWEB
   Sharks Are Older Than Trees, the North Star & Much More - SYFY

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8. 8 · smithsonianmag.comWEB
   Respect: Sharks are Older than Trees - Smithsonian Magazine

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9. 9 · discoverwildlife.comWEB
   This prehistoric apex predator is older than trees, the Atlantic Ocean ...

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