Are sharks older than trees?

The Claim

Sharks evolved before trees.

The Answer

Museum fossil timelines place early sharks hundreds of millions of years ago, while the first forests developed later in the Devonian period.

Why This Is Surprising

It sounds like the kind of claim that races around social feeds without context. The source trail matters because the best version of the wonder is the verified one.

How We Checked It

We looked for an authoritative primary source, checked the wording against at least one credible secondary source when available, and recorded the last review date.