The Prehistoric Sharks Of Montana's Western Interior Seaway

Montana has a Continental Climate. In the mountainous, western half of our state, it's typically a little wetter and cooler, while the drier, eastern half of Big Sky Country is described as Semiarid continental steppe.

Either way you look at it, it's hard to believe that much of Montana was once home to a massive, shallow, tropical sea, dubbed the Western Interior Seaway, that essentially split our state in half. Millions of years ago, this Montana "ocean" was teaming with a diverse variety of sharks, with skeletal fossils proving their existence.

As Shark Week gets underway this week, it might be fun to share some of these interesting Montana shark facts with your kids or friends.

The footlong Falcatus falcatus shark lived roughly 325 million years ago, and fossils have been found in the Bear Gulch Formation (near Lewistown)
Some shark fossils found buried in limestone in Montana were so well preserved that shrimp were visible in their stomachs.
The four-foot-long Airplane Rudder Shark is a unique specimen discovered in Montana that had a dorsal fin that could move like the tail of an airplane.
Perhaps the largest shark fossil found in Montana is the Cretoxyrhina. This apex predator grew up to 26 feet long and had blade-like teeth, earning it the nickname the Ginsu shark.

The Shark Attack at Candy Town USA. TSM Billings

Celebrate Shark Week with a Shark Attack drink from Candy Town USA in Billings.

Candy Town USA is getting in on the fun of Shark Week with a special drink called the Shark Attack. It's made with Sprite, Blue Raspberry, and Strawberry, topped with a "life preserver" and a "deadly shark" swimming in the bottom of the cup.