A remarkable discovery has been made in Russia the fossil of a prehistoric monster-fish known as Helicoprion. This extinct ancestor of modern-day ghost sharks or ratfish possessed an astonishing set of spiral chainsaw-like teeth that set it apart as a fearsome predator. Unearthed in an open coal mine in Volgograd, southern Russia, this latest specimen of the cartilaginous fish showcases a fossilized array of razor-sharp radial teeth.

Dating back some 270 million years, Helicoprion was once the largest predator on Earth, noted US professor Leif Tapanila. Professor Igor Novikov from Moscow’s Paleontological Institute described the tooth spiral as “one of the most mysterious fossils of the late Paleozoic era,” highlighting its unique characteristics.

The teeth, arranged in a circular or buzz saw shape, featured sharp blades with a common spiral-coiled root and serrated edges, enabling the fish to effectively capture and devour its prey.

Scientists believe that Helicoprion utilized its formidable teeth to ensnare soft-bodied creatures like prehistoric squid. However, like many species of the time, Helicoprion eventually succumbed to the mass extinction event that marked the end of the Permian era approximately 252 million years ago.

The first description of this intriguing fish was provided by Russian scientist Alexander Karpinsky in 1899, based on a fossil discovered near Krasnoufimsk.

Initial confusion surrounded Helicoprion’s tooth structure, with some theorizing that these teeth were attached to an elephant-like trunk appendage. However, it is now understood that the teeth grew inside the fish’s lower jaw, forming a concealed tooth factory of sorts.

In 2013, scientists reconstructed the appearance of Helicoprion, revealing its 25-foot-long body and the conveyor belt of teeth that spiraled out of its lower jaw to shred prey.

Cutting-edge scanning technology allowed researchers to create detailed 3-D virtual reconstructions of Helicoprion’s jaws, shedding light on its feeding habits and anatomy.

Although only the fossilized teeth remain today due to the cartilaginous nature of its skeleton, these findings have provided invaluable insights into the enigmatic creature’s evolutionary history. Further studies indicate that Helicoprion is more closely related to ratfish than sharks, despite sharing similarities in tooth structure.

The discovery of Helicoprion’s fossils in various locations, including southeastern Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming, offers a glimpse into this ancient predator’s existence in the world’s oceans over 250 million years ago.

This prehistoric shark-like creature with its spiral of teeth that operated like a chainsaw continues to captivate researchers and enthusiasts alike, underscoring the enduring allure of Earth’s distant past.