The First Sharks

The Ancients

History Hit

History

4.7 • 3.5K Ratings

🗓️ 17 July 2025

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Long before the first dinosaurs, the first trees or even the formation of the rings of Saturn, our planet's oceans were ruled by prehistoric sharks.

Across two special episodes of The Ancients this week, Tristan Hughes is joined by Professor John Long to journey back 300 million years and dive into the deep history of sharks – from their humble origins to their golden age as apex predators. In today's episode John takes us on a whirlwind tour from the first sharks to a beast who had "Jaws and teeth that were giant wheels of death" - the Helicopron. Join us to unpack just how sharks evolved into one of the most successful lineages in Earth’s history - it’s an adventure through 400 million years of evolution, extinction, and dominance in the prehistoric seas.

Welcome to our week of Sharks!

MORE

Tyrannosaurus Rex

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3uxH3HHjSuEk0mHmjFU9k7

The First Dogs

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6fpF68aiJUIbMv6AzXxfC6

Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight, the senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds

The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Fancy a fever tree and vodka.
0:03.8	Yes, vodka, not gin.
0:06.7	Because this is fever tree Mexican lime soda.
0:10.0	Yes, soda, not tonic.
0:13.0	With Mexican lime and Japanese yuzu for a zesty, refreshing lime soda that's just sweet enough.
0:19.6	Delicious with vodka or on its own. Fever tree, Mexican lime soda that's just sweet enough. Delicious with vodka or on its own.
0:23.1	Fever Tree Mexican lime soda mix with the best.
0:27.7	Hmm, now that hits the spot.
0:30.1	Hey guys, Tristan here and I have an exciting announcement.
0:33.9	The ancients will be returning to the London Podcast Festival.
0:38.3	Now, last year tickets they sold out at record speed, so this time we've been upgraded.
0:43.8	We've got a bigger room.
0:45.4	And you, you can be there too on Friday the 5th of September at 7pm at King's Place.
0:52.5	Now I've invited Friend of the podcast, the fabulous Dr. Eve MacDonald, to join me on stage
0:57.9	where we will be exploring the gripping story of ancient Carthage.
1:02.9	Carthage, the Phoenician city that became a superpower,
1:06.6	an empire that rivaled Rome for control in the Western Mediterranean,
1:10.4	and ultimately had a terrible traumatic demise.
1:14.8	Of course, the ancients is nothing without you,
1:17.6	so we want you to be there in the audience taking part
1:20.4	and asking us your burning questions.
1:23.7	Tickets for the festival are always so fast.
	...

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