Evolution thumb|Early Eocene fossil stingray Heliobatis radians|266x266px Stingrays diverged from their closest relatives, the panrays, during the Late Jurassic period, and diversified over the course of the Cretaceous into the different extant families today. The earliest stingrays appear to have been benthic, with the ancestors of the eagle rays becoming pelagic during the early Late Cretaceous.
Evolution thumb|Early Eocene fossil stingray Heliobatis radians|266x266px Stingrays diverged from their closest relatives, the panrays, during the Late Jurassic period, and diversified over the course of the Cretaceous into the different extant families today. The earliest stingrays appear to have been benthic with the ancestors of the eagle rays becoming pelagic during the early Late Cretaceous.