A shark in the Thuringian Forest

Sharks in the Thuringian Forest? Believe It or Not!

Okay, picture this: sharks. You’re probably thinking ocean, right? Maybe a scary movie scene. What definitely doesn’t spring to mind is the Thuringian Forest in Germany. But get this – there was a time when sharks actually swam right where those trees are standing today! It sounds crazy, I know, but the geological history of this place is wild.

So, the Thuringian Forest. It’s this gorgeous mountain range, smack-dab in the middle of Thuringia. Think rolling hills, seriously dense forests – they call it “the green heart of Germany” for a reason. The highest point? That’d be Großer Beerberg, almost a kilometer high. Pretty impressive, right? But to understand why we’re talking about sharks here, we gotta go way, way back in time.

We’re talking millions of years ago – the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian periods. Back then, this whole area was part of a massive basin. Imagine a huge, shallow bowl in the earth. This basin kept getting flooded by seawater, which left behind layers and layers of sediment and volcanic rock. Then, during the Upper Permian, most of Europe was covered by this big, shallow sea called the Zechstein Sea. Now, Thuringia was practically on the equator at the time, so it was hot, hot, hot! The Zechstein Sea started to evaporate, leaving behind tons of salt and gypsum. It was a completely different world!

Now, here’s where the sharks come in. We’re not talking about the ocean anymore; we’re talking freshwater lakes and swamps. And guess what? These lakes were teeming with sharks! Not your typical great whites, mind you, but Orthacanthus. These guys were freshwater sharks, perfectly adapted to living in these kinds of environments. They were the top predators, with bodies built for hunting and teeth designed for grabbing prey.

I remember reading about this incredible discovery a while back – a stone plate found near Kaiserlautern, right in the Thuringian Forest. It had the skeletons of three Orthacanthus sharks – two adults and a baby! They’re on display at Berthold Castle in Schleusingen now. Seriously, if you ever get the chance to see it, do it! It’s mind-blowing to see these ancient sharks so perfectly preserved.

Fast forward millions of years, and all that geological activity – the earth moving and shaking – pushed up the Thuringian Forest into the mountains we see today. Those ancient seabeds and lakes? Buried deep underground, their stories locked in the rocks.

So, no, you won’t find any sharks swimming in the Thuringian Forest now. But their fossils are a constant reminder of how much this planet has changed over time. Next time you’re hiking through those beautiful forests, take a second to think about the sharks that used to call this place home. It’s a pretty cool thought, isn’t it?