Paleontologists have described a new species of extinct ramid shark Paleohypotodus Based on 17 fossilized teeth found in Alabama, USA.
Fossilized teeth are Paleohypotodus bizocoi.Image credit: Eversole other., doi: 10.3897/fr.27.e112800.
“Paleohypotodus “Sharks are an extinct genus of sheep-like sharks that range in time from the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to the late Eocene (Priabonian), with isolated teeth scattered over large areas around the world. It has been reported from different sources,” said Dr. June Ebersole. McWane Science Center Collections Director and his colleagues.
“There are three recognized species in this genus, including the Cretaceous. Palaeohypotodus bronniand Paleogene Paleohypotodus borgensis and Palaeohypotodus rutoti”
“These species have an upright to strongly hooked distal crown, a smooth cutting edge, one or more pairs of lateral cusps, and a unique combination of folds along the labial crown foot. It is characterized by sturdy teeth.
“Paleohypotodus Although known primarily by solitary teeth, at least one partially associated skeleton has been reported. ”
The newly identified species is Paleohypotodus bizocoilived about 65 million years ago (Paleocene epoch).
A collection of 17 teeth belonging to this species was recently discovered in the historical collections of the Alabama Geological Survey in Tuscaloosa.
The specimen is Porter's Creek Formation Originally from Wilcox County, Alabama.
“A few years ago, while looking through our historic fossil collection at the Alabama Geological Survey, we came across a small box containing a shark tooth collected in Wilcox County over 100 years ago,” Eversole said. the doctor said.
“We've been documenting fossilized remains of hundreds of fish species over the past decade, but it was puzzling that these teeth belonged to sharks we didn't recognize.”
Paleohypotodus bizocoi It was a major predator when the ocean was recovering from the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.
“In Alabama, during the Paleocene, much of the southern half of the state was covered by shallow tropical to subtropical oceans,” says T. Lynn, a paleontologist and curator of fossil collections at the Alabama Geological Survey. Dr. Harrell Jr. says. .
“This era is less well studied, which makes the discovery of this new species of shark all the more important.”
“Shark discoveries like this one give us tremendous insight into how marine life recovers after large-scale extinction events. We also know that global events such as climate change are changing the way our oceans are today. We may also be able to predict how this will affect living organisms.”
As part of their study, the authors compared fossil teeth. Paleohypotodus bizocoi to sharks from a variety of modern sharks, including great whites and shortfin mako sharks.
“By studying the jaws and teeth of extant sharks, we were able to reconstruct the dentition of this ancient species and found that it has a tooth arrangement unlike any other living shark.” said Curator of History Dr. David Sisimuri. Carolina State Museum.
a paper A description of the discovery was published in a magazine fossil record.
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JA Eversole other. 2024.new species Paleohypotodus Glickman, 1964 (chondrichthyes, oligidae), collected from the Lower Paleocene (Danian) Porters Creek Formation, Wilcox County, Alabama, USA. fossil record 27 (1): 111-134; doi: 10.3897/fr.27.e112800
Source: www.sci.news
