A Review of the Paleobiology of Some Neogene Sharks and the Fossil Records of Extant Shark Species

• Published in: Diversity
• Main Authors: Olaf Höltke, Erin E. Maxwell, Michael W. Rasser
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2024
• Subjects: Selachii; Miocene; Pliocene; paleobiology; ecology; Recent; Biology (General); QH301-705.5; Cetorhinus maximus; Lamna nasus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/d16030147; https://doaj.org/article/6cdb8e99524f4e22aeee34b67d7c8649

In recent years, new findings and new methods (stable isotopes of oxygen, zinc, and nitrogen; 2D and 3D modeling; and geometric morphometric analyses of the teeth) have enhanced our knowledge of the Neogene shark fauna and its paleobiology. Several papers deal with the large Otodus ( Megaselachus ) species, including the construction of a 3D model, as well as insights into its lifestyle and diet. In addition, the skeletal remains of Carcharias gustrowensis , Carcharodon hastalis , and Keasius parvus and a natural tooth set of Carcharodon hubbelli have been described in the last 13 years, and the dentition of the Neogene species Carcharoides catticus , Megachasma applegatei , and Parotodus benedenii has been reconstructed. Stable isotope analyses of the teeth from the Neogene species of Araloselachus , Carcharias , Carcharodon , Galeocerdo , Hemipristris , and Mitsukurina have given insights into the trophic positions of these genera during the Neogene, and shark teeth preserved near the skeletal remains of prey animals (mammals) and shark bite traces on these remains provide direct evidence of trophic interactions. The tooth shape, fossil locality, and paleoenvironment have been used to better understand the taxa Carcharhinus dicelmai , Megalolamna paradoxodon , Pachyscyllium dachiardii , and P. distans. Among extant species, Galeorhinus galeus can be traced back to the Eocene. Alopias superciliosus , Rhincodon typus, and possibly A. vulpinus can be traced back to the Oligocene. Species present by the Miocene include Alopias vulpinus , Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides , C. amblyrhynchos , C. albimarginatus , C. amboinensis , C. brachyurus , C. brevipinna , C. falciformis , C. glaucus , C. leucas , C. limbatus , C. longimanus , C. macloti , C. obscurus , C. perezi , C. sealei, Centrophorus granulosus , Cetorhinus maximus , Dalatias licha , Deania calcea , Galeocerdo cuvier , Glyphis glyphis , Heptranchias perlo , Isurus paucus , Lamna nasus , Negaprion brevirostris , Odontaspis ferox , Pseudocarcharias kamoharai , ...