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Giant Shark Verts


eddie

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Here are a few really large shark verts. The Otodus vertebra (left) is about 3" in diameter, from Morocco.

The other two are from Lee Creek. I believe the flatter one is a meg vert. The huge, tall one is a mystery,

but my best guess is a whale shark. If anyone has any ideas, let me know. Basking shark maybe? It's 2 1/2"

"tall" and over 2 1/2" in diameter.

Thanks for looking,

Eddie

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Very nice verts! As for an ID, I'm at a loss. Northern Sharks might be able to help you with that though.

Tha tighin fodham, fodham, fodham!

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thats a mako vert i think and not a meg vert, what size is it anyway

It's just about 2.5" in diameter. I guess it could also be from a big Isurus, but how would you

be able to tell the difference between that and a small meg?

Thanks,

Eddie

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The big vert is most likely from Cetorhinus. Michael Gottfried did a publication on gigantic shark verts from the Calvert Fm. in the early 90's; they can be differentiated from those of lamnid (e.g. mako and GW) and otodontid (e.g. meg) verts by having a much deeper concavity on either side of the centrum, which your vert shows. Also, because of this, they end up being much longer than typical lamniform verts. I'd say definitely Cetorhinus (for the big vert).

Bobby

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Guest bmorefossil

like i said i really am not sure, its just that the only megalodon verts that i have seen have all been tall for their size

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like i said i really am not sure, its just that the only megalodon verts that i have seen have all been tall for their size

How do you know they were megalodon?

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The big vert is most likely from Cetorhinus. Michael Gottfried did a publication on gigantic shark verts from the Calvert Fm. in the early 90's; they can be differentiated from those of lamnid (e.g. mako and GW) and otodontid (e.g. meg) verts by having a much deeper concavity on either side of the centrum, which your vert shows. Also, because of this, they end up being much longer than typical lamniform verts. I'd say definitely Cetorhinus (for the big vert).

Bobby

Hi Bobby,

Thanks for the info. I'd be interested in seeing the publication, any suggestions on how I can get it?

I agree the longer/taller vert is not a mako/gw or meg, and I also certainly agree it could be a

basking shark vert, but I've seen no evidence to rule out Rhincodon (whale shark.) Actually, the

reason I believe it to be whale shark is because a friend of mine found a picture of a vert from a modern

Rhincodon, and it looked nearly identical. It's flimsy, anecdotal evidence, I know, but I haven't seen

a modern basking shark's vert yet. :mellow:

Thanks!

Eddie

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Meg vert from the Meherrin River, NC

Everything is in storage right now in prep for a move we are making in a few weeks so I can not give you the measurements, but it's big. Also have a couple from Chile...

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Guest bmorefossil
How do you know they were megalodon?

because they were in a museum and i dont think they would lie do you?

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Guest bmorefossil
Meg vert from the Meherrin River, NC

Everything is in storage right now in prep for a move we are making in a few weeks so I can not give you the measurements, but it's big. Also have a couple from Chile...

yes thats pretty close to the meg verts that i have seen

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because they were in a museum and i dont think they would lie do you?

I wasn't accusing anyone of lying, I was just asking a question. It's healthy to be skeptical. Don't believe for a second that museums are *always* correct. Just look at some of the Lee Creek publications from the Smithsonian.

Thanks,

Eddie

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Very nice verts! As for an ID, I'm at a loss. Northern Sharks might be able to help you with that though.

No pressure or anything, jeez :D

I don't know my verts too well and after a quick internet search (very quick) I couldn't find a photo of a whale shark vertebra. I did find one of a modern basking shark and it was more "hockey puck" shaped rather than elongated. Do the sizes change that drastically depending where along the spine they are from? By the way, are you the Natsamjosh Eddie? Either way, you've got some real nice specimens.

There's no limit to what you can accomplish when you're supposed to be doing something else

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No pressure or anything, jeez :D

I don't know my verts too well and after a quick internet search (very quick) I couldn't find a photo of a whale shark vertebra. I did find one of a modern basking shark and it was more "hockey puck" shaped rather than elongated. Do the sizes change that drastically depending where along the spine they are from? By the way, are you the Natsamjosh Eddie? Either way, you've got some real nice specimens.

Thanks! Yes, that's me. I use my son's names as my user id for several things. Hopefully it wasn't that porn website you

saw me on. (Just kidding.)

No pressure at all, I like the verts whatever they are, like you said. IMO, identifying these things is more of an art than

a science. I've had some pretty knowledgeable folks tell me they think that that flatter Lee Creek vert is from a meg, but now

I'm questioning that given the opinions/photos offered here.

I'll see if I can find that picture of the whale shark vertebra for comparison.

Thanks to everyone for the input so far!

Eddie

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Guest bmorefossil

then go with what they say because i am no expert nor am i anything close to one. i was just saying what i thought it was. If they say it is then it must be. Its always good to have different opinions so we can all get to the real answer alot faster. nice finds none the less

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I wasn't accusing anyone of lying, I was just asking a question. It's healthy to be skeptical. Don't believe for a second that museums are *always* correct. Just look at some of the Lee Creek publications from the Smithsonian.

Thanks,

Eddie

Quite right Eddie.

As an example, and not the same, I know. A museum in SE London, still has Striatolamia macrota as Eugomphodus macrotus, an old pseudonym. As new discoveries or information are found, some of the older ones are overlooked when updating information.

KOF, Bill.

Welcome to the forum, all new members

www.ukfossils check it out.

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I don't know how often Megachasma teeth are encountered in the Calvert, if ever; I do know that Megachasma is rather rare in the fossil record, and at least in CA, Cetorhinus is more common than Carcharodon.

In any event, most Cetorhinus verts have a nearly 1-1 length to width ratio; unfortunately dried specimens often times shrink during the drying process, and the one you saw is possibly like that.

I personally do not know the morphological differences between Megachasma and Cetorhinus centra, but that is only because Megachasma is encountered so rarely.

Bobby

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Great verts !!!!! B)B)B):D

Thanks everyone. Based on the great feedback, now I'm wondering what

that flatter Lee Creek vert is. I guess it doesn't really matter, whatever

it was, it was a BIG shark. :o

Thanks,

Eddie

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