Carcharodon

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Carcharodon
Temporal range: 16–0  Ma
Carcharodon carcharias.jpg
Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Lamnidae
Genus: Carcharodon
A. Smith, 1838
Type species
Carcharias atwoodi
Species
Synonyms
  • ProcarcharodonCasier, 1960

Carcharodon (meaning "jagged/sharp tooth") [2] is a genus of sharks within the family Lamnidae, colloquially called the "white sharks." The only extant member is the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Extinct species include C. hubbelli and C. hastalis. [3] The first appearance of the genus may have been as early as the Early Miocene or Late Oligocene. [1] Carcharocles megalodon is still argued by some paleontologists (e.g. Michael D. Gottfried, Leonard Compagno, and Ewan Fordyce) to be a close relative of Carcharodon carcharias - as well as being in the same genus. [3] When Megalodon belonged to this genus it had the scientific name Carcharodon megalodon. More recently, Megalodon has been assigned by most scientists to either the genus Carcharocles or Otodus.

Contents

Fossil History and Evolution

The fossil ancestry of Carcharodon is an active area of research and debate, given the dearth of the fossil record and the incompleteness of found specimens. Most Carcharodon fossil remains of are in the form of teeth, along with some vertebral centra. [3] This is the norm for fossilized Chondrichthyans, since a shark's skeleton is made of cartilage and soft tissues don't preserve well. Thus, assessing relationships between fossil species relies largely on the form of their teeth. This difficulty is compounded by the incomplete fossil record of Lamnids. However, some researchers have proffered Macrorhizodus, Isurolamna, and Cretalamna as candidates for genera ancestral to Carcharodon, taxa ranging from the Eocene to the Cretaceous. [1] [4] [5]

Carcharodon is well-represented in the fossil record by the Middle Miocene. The first widespread, cosmopolitan species being C. hastalis, with fossils recovered from North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. [6] The modern great white shark has been posited to have evolved from C. hastalis through a transitional species, C. hubbelli . [3]

Extinct white shark tooth. Carcharodon hastalis tooth.jpg
Extinct white shark tooth.

Study of white shark taxonomy is complicated by nomenclature and repeated taxonomic reassignments of various species. C. hastalis, C. subserratus, and C. planus traditionally were placed in Isurus , [3] given their superficial similarity to the teeth of mako sharks, leading many modern shark tooth collectors to still refer to these extinct species as "makos." They were later reassigned to a new genus, Cosmopolitodus , [7] [3] a genus maintained as valid in some current literature, and considered a junior synonym of Carcharodon in others. [8] [3] C. hastalis has also been described as two morphotypes, "broad-form" and "narrow-form," which some authors have split into two species, C. plicatilis (xiphodon) and C. hastalis, respectively. [9] [3] [10] C. subserratus , historically known as C. escheri under the genus Carcharomodus, [11] has recently been reclassified back in to the genus Carcharodon as C. subserratus. [12]

The fossil "mega-toothed" sharks like megalodon have also traditionally been placed in Carcharodon, [5] but most current literature refutes this position, placing mega-toothed sharks in a separate family, Otodontidae, and genus, Otodus (Carcharocles). [3] [13] Carcharodon caifassii is the other species in genus Carcharodon. It is a debated species, and is considered dubious. It lived in the Miocene and Pliocene period and was a possible ancestor of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). [14] [15]

Species

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great white shark</span> Species of large lamniform shark

The great white shark, also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is the only known surviving species of its genus Carcharodon. The great white shark is notable for its size, with the largest preserved female specimen measuring 5.83 m (19.1 ft) in length and around 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) in weight at maturity. However, most are smaller; males measure 3.4 to 4.0 m, and females measure 4.6 to 4.9 m on average. According to a 2014 study, the lifespan of great white sharks is estimated to be as long as 70 years or more, well above previous estimates, making it one of the longest lived cartilaginous fishes currently known. According to the same study, male great white sharks take 26 years to reach sexual maturity, while the females take 33 years to be ready to produce offspring. Great white sharks can swim at speeds of 25 km/h (16 mph) for short bursts and to depths of 1,200 m (3,900 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamniformes</span> Order of sharks

The Lamniformes are an order of sharks commonly known as mackerel sharks. It includes some of the most familiar species of sharks, such as the great white as well as less familiar ones, such as the goblin shark and megamouth shark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megalodon</span> Extinct giant shark species from 23 to 3.6 million years ago

Otodus megalodon, commonly known as megalodon, is an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Early Pliocene epochs. O. megalodon was formerly thought to be a member of the family Lamnidae and a close relative of the great white shark, but has been reclassified into the extinct family Otodontidae, which diverged from the great white shark during the Early Cretaceous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamnidae</span> Family of sharks

The Lamnidae are the family of mackerel sharks known as white sharks. They are large, fast-swimming predatory fish found in oceans worldwide, though they prefer environments with colder water. The name of the family is formed from the Greek word lamna, which means "fish of prey", and was derived from the Greek legendary creature, the Lamia.

<i>Otodus</i> Extinct genus of sharks (fossil)

Otodus is an extinct, cosmopolitan genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene epoch. The name Otodus comes from Ancient Greek ὠτ- and ὀδούς – thus, "ear-shaped tooth".

<i>Isurus</i> Genus of sharks

Isurus is a genus of mackerel sharks in the family Lamnidae, commonly known as the mako sharks. They are largely pelagic, and are fast, predatory fish capable of swimming at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph).

<i>Otodus angustidens</i> Species of fossil shark

Otodus angustidens is an extinct species of prehistoric megatoothed sharks in the genus Otodus, which lived during the Late Eocene and Miocene epochs about 34 to 21 million years ago. The largest individuals were about 11–12 metres (36–39 ft) long. This shark is related to another extinct megatoothed shark, the famous Otodus megalodon.

<i>Otodus chubutensis</i> Species of fossil sharks

Otodus chubutensis, meaning "ear-shaped tooth of Chubut", from Ancient Greek ὠτ and ὀδούς – thus, "ear-shaped tooth", is an extinct species of prehistoric megatoothed sharks in the genus Otodus, that lived during Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene, in ~28–5.3 milions years ago. The largest individuals were about 13.5 metres (44 ft) long. This shark is considered a close relative of the famous prehistoric megatoothed shark O. megalodon. However, as is the case with O. megalodon, the classification of this species is disputed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otodontidae</span> Extinct family of sharks

Otodontidae is an extinct family of sharks belonging to the order Lamniformes. Its members have been described as megatoothed sharks. They lived from the Early Cretaceous to the Pliocene, and included genera such as Otodus, including the giant megalodon. Recent studies of the newly described genus Megalolamna indicate that the members of the genus Carcharocles should be reclassified as members of the genus Otodus. The genus Cretalamna which lived from the mid-Cretaceous-Paleogene is believed to be directly ancestral to Otodus, and thus to megalodon.

<i>Otodus auriculatus</i> Extinct species of shark

Otodus auriculatus is an extinct species of large sharks in the genus Otodus of the family Otodontidae, closely related to the sharks of the genus Otodus, and also closely related to the later species megalodon. The largest individuals were about 9.5 metres (31 ft) long. Its teeth were large, having coarse serrations on the cutting edge, and also with two large cusplets. The teeth can reach up to 130 millimetres (5.1 in), and belonged to a large "megatoothed" shark.

<i>Carcharodon hubbelli</i> Extinct species of shark

Carcharodon hubbelli, also known as Hubbell's white shark, is an extinct species of white shark that evolved between 8 and 5 million years ago during the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene epochs. This shark is a transitional species, showing intermediate features between the extant great white shark and the fossil white shark, C. hastalis. C. hubbelli appears to be geographically restricted to the Pacific Ocean, with fossils of C. hubbelli recovered from Peru, Chile, California, and New Zealand. This exclusive distribution suggests a Pacific origin for the great white shark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Choptank Formation</span> Fossiliferous geologic formation in Virginia and Maryland, U.S.

The Choptank Formation is a geologic formation in Virginia and Maryland. It preserves fossils dating from the Miocene epoch of the Neogene period.

The Temblor Formation is a geologic formation in California. It preserves fossils dating back from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene of the Neogene period. It is notable for the famous Sharktooth Hill deposit.

<i>Cosmopolitodus</i> Extinct genus of mackerel shark

Cosmopolitodus is an extinct genus of mackerel shark that lived between thirty and one million years ago during the late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene epochs. Its type species is Cosmopolitodus hastalis, the broad-tooth mako. In 2021, Isurus planus was reassigned to the genus, and thus became the second species C. planus. However, some researchers still consider both species of Cosmopolitodus as species of Carcharodon.

Megalolamna is an extinct genus of large mackerel shark that lived approximately 23.5 to 15 million years ago (Mya), from the Late Oligocene to the Middle Miocene epochs. Fossils belonging to this genus are known from the Americas, Europe and Japan, and have been documented in scientific literature since the late 19th century. It was in 2016 that the fossils were described as belonging to the same distinct taxon called M. paradoxodon. However, a 2024 study reveals that the taxon was already described indirectly in 1879 under the name Otodus serotinus, the only known species of this genus then being renamed as M. serotinus. It is a member of the Otodontidae, a family of large-toothed sharks known to include the contemporary megalodon.

<i>Carcharomodus</i> Extinct genus of sharks

Carcharomodus is an extinct genus of lamnid shark. Its only species is Carcharomodus escheri, commonly nicknamed the serrated mako shark or Escher's mako shark. It is an extinct lamnid that lived during the Miocene and that was formerly thought to have been transitional between the broad-toothed "mako" Cosmopolitodus hastalis and the modern great white, but is now considered to be an evolutionary dead-end with the discovery of Carcharodon hubbelli. Fossil examples have been found along northern Atlantic coastlines and in parts of Western and Central Europe.

<i>Alopias palatasi</i> Extinct species of shark

Alopias palatasi, commonly referred to as the serrated giant thresher, is an extinct species of giant thresher shark that lived approximately 20.44 to 13.7 million years ago during the Miocene epoch, and is known for its uniquely serrated teeth. It is only known from such isolated teeth, which are large and can measure up to an excess of 4 centimetres (2 in), equating to a size rivaling the great white shark, but are rare and found in deposits in the East Coast of the United States and Malta. Teeth of A. palatasi are strikingly similar to those of the giant thresher Alopias grandis, and the former has been considered as a variant of the latter in the past. Scientists hypothesized that A. palatasi may have had attained lengths comparable with the great white shark and a body outline similar to it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calvert Formation</span> Geologic formation in the United States

The Calvert Formation is a geologic formation in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. It preserves fossils dating back to the early to middle Miocene epoch of the Neogene period. It is one of the three formations which make up the Calvert Cliffs, all of which are part of the Chesapeake Group.

Otodus hastalis is an extinct dubious species of Lamniform shark what lived in the Miocene epoch, and was related to Megalodon.

Cetorhinus huddlestoni is extinct species of basking shark that lived in the Middle miocene period. Its fossils consist of juvenile specimens, represented by fragmented and complete teeth. They are believed to be the same size as the current basking shark. It was discovered in the Shark tooth Formation by Welton in 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Trif, N.; Ciobanu, R.; Codrea, V. (2016). "The first record of the giant shark Otodus megalodon (Agassiz, 1835) from Romania". Brukenthal, Acta Musei. 11 (3): 507–526.
  2. ↑ "Carcharodon", Wiktionary, 2022-01-02, retrieved 2023-01-04
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ehret, D.J.; Macfadden, B.J.; Jones, D.S.; DeVries, T.J.; Foster, D.A.; Salas-Gismondi, R. (2012). "Origin of the white shark Carcharodon (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) based on recalibration of the Upper Neogene Pisco Formation of Peru". Palaeontology. 55 (6): 1139-1153. Bibcode:2012Palgy..55.1139E. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2012.01201.x.
  4. ↑ Martin, A. P. (1996). "Systematics of the Lamnidae and the Origination Time of Carcharodon carcharias Inferred from the Comparative Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA Sequences". In Klimley, A. P.; Ainley, D. G. (eds.). Great White Sharks: The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias. Academic Press. pp. 49–53. doi : 10.1016/B978-0-12-415031-7.X5000-9
  5. 1 2 Applegate, Shelton P.; Espinosa-Arrubarrena, Luis (1996). "The Fossil History of Carcharodon and Its Possible Ancestor, Cretolamna: A Study in Tooth Identification". In Klimley, A. Peter; Ainley, David G. (eds.). Great white sharks : the biology of Carcharodon carcharias. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 19–36. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-415031-7.x5000-9. ISBN   978-0-08-053260-8. OCLC   392312939.
  6. ↑ "Carcharodon hastalis". Florida Museum. 2017-03-30. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
  7. ↑ Glikman , L. S. (1964). "Sharks of the Paleogene their stratigraphic significance." Nakua Press, Moscow, 229 pp. [Russian]
  8. ↑ Yun, C. (2021). "A tooth of the extinct lamnid shark, Cosmopolitodus planus comb. nov. (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the Miocene of Pohang City, South Korea" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae. 18 (1): 9–16. doi : 10.35463/j.apr.2022.01.02 S2CID 242113412.
  9. ↑ Whitenack, L. B. and Gottfried, M. D. (2010). "A morphometric approach for addressing tooth-based species delimitation in fossil Mako sharks, Isurus (Elasmobranchii, Lamniformes)." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 30, 17–25.
  10. ↑ Cione A. L., Cabrera D. A., et al (2012). "Oldest record of the Great White Shark (Lamnidae, Carcharodon; Miocene) in the Southern Atlantic", Geobios 45, 167-172 doi : 10.1016/j.geobios.2011.06.002
  11. ↑ Kriwet, J., Mewis, H., and Hampe, O. 2015. A partial skeleton of a new lamniform mackerel shark from the Miocene of Europe. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60 (4): 857–875.
  12. ↑ Godfrey, Stephen J., ed. (2018-09-25). "The Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, USA". Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology (100): 2–274. doi : 10.5479/si.1943-6688.100 ISSN 1943-6688.
  13. ↑ Kent, B. W. (2018). "The Cartilaginous Fishes (Chimaeras, Sharks, and Rays) of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland, USA". In Godfrey, S. J. (ed.). The Geology and Vertebrate Paleontology of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology. The Smithsonian Institution. pp. 45–157. doi : 10.5479/si.1943-6688.100 ISSN 1943-6688. S2CID 134274604.
  14. ↑ Lawley, Lawley. "Carcharodon caifassi". Mindat.org. 1876.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  15. ↑ Hay., 1902, Hay., 1902. "Carcharodon". Mindat.org. 1902.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. 1 2 3 Agassiz, L. J. R. 1833–1844. Recherches sur les poisons fossiles. Text (5 vols; I., xlix + 188 pp., II xii + 310 + 366 pp., III viii+390pp., IV xvi+296pp., V xii+122+160pp.) and Atlas. Imprimerie de Petitpierre, Neuchâtel.
  17. ↑ Agassiz, L., 1856. Notice on the fossil fishes found in California by W.P. Blake. American Journal of Science and Arts, Series 2, 21: 272–275.
  18. ↑ Lawley, Lawley. "Carcharodon caifassii". Shark-References. 1876.
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