- Carcharocles angustidens
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Carcharocles angustidens
Temporal range: Oligocene - MioceneScientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Lamniformes Family: Disputed; either Lamnidae or Otodontidae Genus: Disputed; either Carcharodon or Carcharocles Species: C. angustidens Binomial name Disputed; either Carcharodon angustidens or Carcharocles angustidens
For Carcharodon angustidens, Agassiz, 1843Carcharocles angustidens is a prehistoric megatoothed shark, which lived during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs approximately about 35 to 22 million years ago.[1] This shark is believed to be closely related to another extinct megatoothed shark, C. megalodon.[1] However, just as in the case of C. megalodon, the classification of this species is also under dispute.
Contents
Fossil record
As is the case with most extinct sharks, this species is also known from fossil teeth and some fossilized vertebral centra. Shark skeleton is composed of cartilage and not bone, and cartilage rarely gets fossilized. Hence, fossils of C. angustidens are generally poorly preserved. To date, the best preserved specimen of this species have been excavated from New Zealand, which comprises 165 associated teeth and about 35 associated vertebral centrum.[2] This specimen is around 26 million years old. C. angustidens teeth are noted for their triangular crowns and small side cusps that are fully serrated. The serrations are very sharp and very well pronounced. C. angustidens was a widely distributed species with fossils found in North America,[2] South America,[2] Europe,[2] Africa,[2] New Zealand,[2] Japan,[2] Australia,[2] and Malta.
Size estimation
Like other known megatooth sharks, the fossils of C. angustidens indicate that it was considerably larger than the extant great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias. The well preserved specimen from New Zealand is estimated at 9.3 metres (31 ft) in length.[2] This specimen had teeth measuring up to 9.87 cm (3.9 inch) in diagonal length, and vertebral centra of around 1.10 cm (4.33 inch) in diameter.[2] However, there are reports of larger C. angustidens fossils.[3]
Dentition
The dental formula for C. angustidens is
Diet
C. angustidens was an apex predator and likely preyed upon penguins, fish, dolphins, and baleen whales.
Classification dispute
Even after decades of scrutinizing fossils, C. angustidens remains a disputed genus.[2] A Swiss naturalist, Louis Agassiz, first identified this shark as a species of Carcharodon genus, in 1835.
In 1964, shark expert, L. S. Glikman recognized the transition of Otodus obliquus to C. auriculatus and moved C. angustidens to genus Otodus. (See "external links" below)
However, in 1987, shark expert, H. Cappetta realized the C. auriculatus - C. megalodon lineage and placed all related megatooth sharks along with these species in the genus, Carcharocles. For the first time, the complete Otodus obliquus to C. megalodon transition became clear and since have gained acceptance of many other experts with passage of time. (See "external links" below)
Within the Carcharocles lineage; C. angustidens is the succeeding species of C. sokolovi and is exceeded by C. chubutensis.[1]
However, in 2001, a discovery of a best preserved C. angustidens specimen to date by two scientists, M. D. Gottfried, and R. Ewan Fordyce, have been presented by the team as an evidence for its close morphological ties with the extant great white shark and the team argued that C. angustidens along with all other related megatooth sharks (including C. megalodon) should be assigned to Carcharodon as done before by Louis Agassiz.[2]
See also
- Prehistoric fish
- Largest prehistoric organisms
References
- ^ a b c Renz, Mark (2002). Megalodon: Hunting the Hunter. PaleoPress. pp. 26–30. ISBN 0-9719477-0-8
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Gottfried M.D., Fordyce R.E (2001). "An Associated Specimen of CARCHARODON ANGUSTIDENS (CHONDRICHTHYES, LAMNIDAE) From the LATE OLIGOCENE of NEW ZEALAND, with comments on CARCHARODON Interrelationships". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21 (4): 730–739. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0730:AASOCA]2.0.CO;2.
- ^ C. angustidens fossils from Black River Fossils
General references
- Glikman, L.S., 1980.. Evolution of Cretaceous and Caenozoic Lamnoid Sharks:3-247, pls.1-33. Moscow.
- Jordan, D.S. & Hannibal, H., 1923. Fossil Sharks and Rays of the Pacific Slope of North America. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences, 22:27-63, plates 1-9.
External links
Categories:- Extinct animals of New Zealand
- Prehistoric sharks
- Oligocene fish
- Miocene fish
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