Prehistoric shark named after video game

A newly discovered fossil shark has been named after the 1980s arcade game, Galaga. The Galagadon
lived in the rivers of South Dakota around 67 million years ago, at the same time as Tyrannosaurus rex


30cm-45cm

Tooth: Discovered by volunteer sorting through fossils at Chicago’s Field Museum

Less than 1mm

Galaga: Fixed shooter arcade game released in 1981

Galagadon nordquistae: Named after resemblance of tooth to Galaga spaceship, and Karen Nordquist (right), museum volunteer who discovered it

Space Fighter


UNITED STATES
South Dakota


Pictures: Velizar Simeonovski/Karen Bean (Field Museum), Namco, Chattanooga Pinball
Sources: Journal of Paleontology (Cambridge University), Field Museum, BBC
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