K. G. Murphy

Professor K. G. Murphy (February 29, 1908, London - October 16, 1997) was a bio-archaeologist. He was an only child and never married.

When he wasn't giving lectures on his scientific discoveries, Murphy would spend his time researching in the field. He studied Pygmy's in Africa during the 1930s as well spending many years trekking through the rain forests of South America during the 1950s and 60s.

His most recent work saw him in Japan as part of a research team searching for living evidence of an ancient species of shark called the frilled shark, or "living fossil" as it is often known. Due to the lack of financial backing for the project, Murphy had to return to the UK in 1981 before a living shark could be discovered.

On returning to the UK he soon vanished into obscurity.

Murphy died before he could see a living frilled shark, however, his theories were proved right when the Awashima Marine Park in Shizuoka, south of Tokyo, was alerted by a fisherman at a nearby port on Sunday 21st January 2007 that he had spotted an odd-looking eel-like creature with a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth. Marine park staff caught the 5 foot (1.6 m) long creature, which they identified as a female Frilled Shark.

Links

* [http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/01/24/shark.japan.reut/index.html CNN: news story on the Frilled Shark] . Includes video footage.