Fossilized Mako Shark Teeth

Mako sharks first appear in the fossil record in the Paleocene possibly around 60 million years ago. In the Eocene, around 55 million years ago, the Isurus praecurser (Macrorhizodus praecursor) genus branches from the makos. This "Macrorhizodus" genus continues to diversify throughout the fossil record. The teeth broaden over time and eventually branch into the White Sharks. Some time in the late Oligocene, modern looking forms of mako sharks appear. By the Miocene, there are at least two species of Mako sharks: shortfin and longfin All of this is a very fancy way of saying sharks are really old.