Parotodus

Last updated

Parotodus
Temporal range: Early Eocene - Pleistocene, 53.3–1.1  Ma
Lamnidae - Paratodus benedenii-000.JPG
Fossil teeth of Parotodus benedenii
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Subdivision: Selachimorpha
Order: Lamniformes
Family: incertae sedis
Genus: Parotodus
Cappetta, 1980
Type species
Parotodus benedenii
Le Hon, 1871
Species
  • P. benedenii Le Hon, 1871 (type)
  • P. pavlovi Menner, 1928
  • P. mangyshlakensis Kozlov, 1999

Parotodus, commonly known as the false-toothed mako shark (or false mako shark), is an extinct genus of mackerel shark that lived approximately 53 to one million years ago during the Eocene and Pleistocene epochs. Its teeth, which are found worldwide, are often prized by fossil collectors due to their rarity. The scarcity of fossils is because Parotodus likely primarily inhabited open oceans far away from the continents.

Contents

Description

Initially appearing as a small shark, Parotodus gradually increased in size over geologic time and by the Neogene period became one of the largest sharks of its time. [4] A 1999 study estimated the genus to have measured up to 7.6 meters (25 ft) in length. [5] The teeth of Parotodus are distinctively curved and rarely show feeding damage, which suggests that it mainly preyed on soft-bodied animals. Paleontologists speculate that this included other sharks, including the contemporaneous Megalodon. [6]

Classification

Due to the general scarcity and ambiguity of fossils, the familiar placement remains uncertain. Several proposals suggest classifying the genus as a mega-toothed shark, cardabiodont, archaeolamnid, thresher shark, or white shark. [4] [7]

Currently, three valid species are generally recognized within Parotodus. These include P. benedenii, P. pavlovi, and P. mangyshlakensis. However, some scientists, especially those who identify Parotodus as a cardabiodont, do not recognize the latter two as members of the genus. [4]

A fourth species was reported by Ward, Nakatani, and Bernard in a 2017 poster from the Oligocene of Japan. The poster stated that the new species is to be named after Yasuhiro Fudouji, the paleontologist who discovered the type specimens, and will be formally described in an upcoming paper. However, the scientific name was not explicitly stated to avoid an accidental invalidation of the taxon. [6]

Fossil records

Parotodus inhabited pelagic open oceans like the oceanic whitetip shark. Oceanic Whitetip Shark.png
Parotodus inhabited pelagic open oceans like the oceanic whitetip shark.

The genus is often regarded as a rare species despite its presence in ocean deposits worldwide. As a result, it is often prized by fossil collectors. Paleontologists believe that Parotodus likely inhabited primarily open oceans like the modern oceanic whitetip shark and blue shark. This would explain why fossils of a cosmopolitan animal are so rare, given that open oceans are seldom represented in terrestrial fossil deposits. This hypothesis is additionally supported by how Parotodus teeth are unusually common in nodule deposits under the Pacific and Indian Oceans and on islands located far away from continental lands. [4]

Parotodus fossils have been recovered from fossil deposits in the Azores, Mallorca, Malta, Europe, Madagascar, Kazakhstan, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, California, the East Coast of the United States, and dredged from the Pacific and Indian Oceans. [4] [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Galeocerdo</i> Genus of sharks

Galeocerdo is a genus of ground shark. Only a single species, G. cuvier, the tiger shark is extant. The earliest fossils date back to the early Eocene epoch, (Ypresian), around 56–47.8 Million years ago. While historically considered a member of the requiem shark family Carcharhinidae, it is currently considered to be the only member of the family Galeocerdonidae. While this genus was historically considered diverse, including 21 extinct species, morphometric analysis conducted in 2021 suggested that the diversity of the genus included only 5 extinct species much lower than previously assumed. The oldest fossils of the extant G. cuvier date to the middle Miocene.

<i>Carcharodon</i> Genus of sharks

Carcharodon is a genus of sharks within the family Lamnidae, colloquially called the "white sharks." The only extant member is the great white shark. The extant species was preceded by a number of fossil (extinct) species including C. hubbelli and C. hastalis. The first appearance of the genus may have been as early as the Early Miocene or Late Oligocene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chimaera</span> Cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes

Chimaeras are cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes, known informally as ghost sharks, rat fish, spookfish, or rabbit fish; the last three names are not to be confused with rattails, Opisthoproctidae, or Siganidae, respectively.

<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 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">Pelagornithidae</span> Extinct family of seabirds

The Pelagornithidae, commonly called pelagornithids, pseudodontorns, bony-toothed birds, false-toothed birds or pseudotooth birds, are a prehistoric family of large seabirds. Their fossil remains have been found all over the world in rocks dating between the Early Paleocene and the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary.

<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, fast predatory fish capable of swimming at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph).

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

Otodus angustidens is a species of prehistoric megatoothed sharks in the genus Otodus, which lived during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs about 33 to 22 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>Thecachampsa</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Thecachampsa is an extinct genus of gavialoid crocodylian, traditionally regarded as a member of the subfamily Tomistominae. Fossils have been found from the eastern United States in deposits of Miocene age. Those named in the 19th century were distinguished primarily by the shape of their teeth, and have since been combined with T. antiquus. More recently erected species were reassigned from other genera, although their assignment to Thecachampsa has since been questioned.

<i>Scaldicetus</i> Extinct genus of mammals

Scaldicetus is an extinct genus of highly predatory macroraptorial sperm whale. Although widely used for a number of extinct physeterids with primitive dental morphology consisting of enameled teeth, Scaldicetus as generally recognized appears to be a wastebasket taxon filled with more-or-less unrelated primitive sperm whales.

<i>Llanocetus</i> Genus of extinct toothed baleen whales

Llanocetus is a genus of extinct toothed baleen whales from the Late Eocene of Antarctica. The type species, Llanocetus denticrenatus, reached gigantic proportions, with the juvenile specimen reaching an estimated 8 m (26 ft) in length; a second, unnamed species, known only from three isolated premolar teeth, reached an estimated total body length of up to 12 m (39 ft). Like other contemporary baleen whales of the Eocene, Llanocetus completely lacked baleen in its jaws. It was probably a suction feeder like the modern beaked and pygmy right whales.

<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.

<i>Coronodon</i> Extinct genus of whales

Coronodon is a genus of toothed (transitional) baleen whales from the Early Oligocene Ashley and Chandler Bridge formations of South Carolina. The genus contains three species: the type species C. havensteini, and additional species C. newtonorum and C. planifrons.

<i>Galeocerdo alabamensis</i> Extinct species of shark

Galeocerdo alabamensis is an extinct relative of the modern tiger shark. Nomenclature of this shark has been debated, and recent literature identified it more closely with the Physogaleus genus of prehistoric shark, rather than Galeocerdo. The classification of Physogaleus is known as tiger-like sharks while Galeocerdo refers to tiger sharks. In 2003, P. alabamensis was classified as Galeocerdo. However, in 2019 they were proclaimed to be more morphologically similar to the genus Physogaleus. This definition was based primarily on tooth shape, as the majority of information on P. alabamensis is a result of studying tooth fossils. Distinctions between Physogaleus and Galeocerdo are difficult with extinct sharks from the Oilgocene/Miocene as there is little paleobiological information allowing for hard conclusions.

<i>Orcinus paleorca</i> Extinct species of whale

Orcinus paleorca is a fossil species of Orcinus, the genus of killer whales (orca), dated to the Middle Pleistocene.

<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.

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

Otodus aksuaticus is an extinct species of large shark in the family Otodontidae which may represent a transitional species between Otodus obliquus and Otodus auriculatus. They are similar in overall morphology to Otodus obliquus except they have serrations on their cusps and blade. It is sometimes placed in the genus Otodus. It is mainly found in the Ypresian stage of the Eocene epoch. They have been found in the Woodstock Member of the Nanjemoy Formation of Maryland and Virginia and Ypresian sediments in Aktulagay, Kazakhstan as well as the Ypres clay in Belgium and the London Clay in the United Kingdom.

<i>Abdounia</i> Extinct requiem shark

Abdounia is an extinct genus of requiem shark which lived during the Paleogene period. It is mainly known from isolated teeth. It is one of the earliest requiem sharks, and attained widespread success in North America, Europe, and Africa.

<i>Xiphodolamia</i> Extinct genus of Mackerel shark

Xiphodolamia is a rare extinct genus of mackerel shark which lived during the Eocene epoch. It is only known from isolated teeth, but has been found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is assumed to be pelagic, occurring more frequently in deeper water deposits, most notably the London Clay and Eocene deposits in Denmark. It is distinguished by its rectangular root and twisted blade, unique among mackerel sharks. It is unclear what niche this specialized dentition helped exploit.

<i>Diegoaelurus</i> Extinct genus of mammal

Diegoaelurus is an extinct genus of placental mammals from extinct the subfamily Machaeroidinae within extinct family Oxyaenidae. This genus contains only one species Diegoaelurus vanvalkenburghae, which was found in the Santiago Formation in California. This mammal lived during the Uintan stage of the Middle Eocene Epoch around 46.2 to 39.7 million years ago.

<i>Titanotaria</i> Genus of fossil mammals

Titanotaria is a genus of late, basal walrus from the Miocene of Orange County, California. Unlike much later odobenids, it lacked tusks. Titanotaria is known from an almost complete specimen which serves as the holotype for the only recognized species, Titanotaria orangensis, it is the best preserved fossil walrus currently known.

References

  1. Iserbyt, A.; De Schutter, P.J. (2012). "Quantitative analysis of Elasmobranch assemblages from two successive Ypresian (early Eocene) facies at Marke, western Belgium". Geologica Belgica. 15 (3): 147–156.
  2. Steurbaut, E. (2006). "Ypresian". In Dejonghe, L. (ed.). Current status of chronostratigraphic units named from Belgium and adjacent areas. Vol. 9. pp. 73–93.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  3. Boessenecker, S.J.; Boessenecker, R.W.; Geisler, J.H. (2018). "Youngest record of the extinct walrus Ontocetus emmonsi from the Early Pleistocene of South Carolina and a review of North Atlantic walrus biochronology" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 63 (2): 279–286. doi:10.4202/app.00454.2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Canevet, J. (2019), "Le genre Parotodus: le faux requin-mako", Fossiles (in French), no. 37, pp. 39–50
  5. Kent, B.W. (1999). "Speculations on the Size and Morphology of the Extinct Lamnoid Shark, Parotodus benedeni (le Hon)" (PDF). The Mosasaur. 6: 11–15.
  6. 1 2 Ward, D.J.; Nakatani, D.; Bernard, E.L. (2017), A new species of Parotodus (Lamniformes: Otodontidae) from the Oligocene of Japan, The Palaeontological Association, doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.33171.58404
  7. 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, USA. pp. 45–157. ISSN   1943-6688.{{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)
  8. Tatiana P. Malyshkina; David J. Ward; Mikhail V. Nazarkin; Gi-Soo Nam; Seung-Hyuk Kwon; Jeong-Hyun Lee; Tae-Wan Kim; Do-Kwon Kim; Doo-Sung Baek (2022). "Miocene Elasmobranchii from the Duho Formation, South Korea". Historical Biology. 35 (9): 1726–1741. doi:10.1080/08912963.2022.2110870.

See also