Chilean Scientists Name Ancient Sawshark After Chainsaw Man’s Pochita and Late Paleontologist Patricia Canales
Researchers in Chile have identified a new species of prehistoric sawshark, Pochitaserra patriciacanalesae, from Miocene-era fossils unearthed in the Atacama Desert's Bahía Inglesa Formation. The 2-meter-long shark, dating back 13 to 8 million years, features unique rostral denticles and inhabited ancient shallow seas. The name honors the Chainsaw Man character Pochita and Chilean paleontologist Patricia Canales, who passed away in 2022, as detailed in a peer-reviewed paper in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.