Latest Cretaceous-Paleogene Lamniformes of the Western Tethys and Equatorial Eastern Atlantic

[Othniel C. Marsh]

The following is intended to be a comprehensive overview of the lamniformes of the Western Tethys and Equatorial Eastern Atlantic from the Maastrichtian to the Priabonian. I have divided this span of geological time into three "faunal stages", each of which is characterised by a distinct lamniforme assemblage. The basis on which taxa are categorised in the following list is as much based on convenience as taxonomy, not in part because of the uncertainty surrounding the taxonomic placement of many extinct lamniformes.
I must emphasise that, being 15, I have absolutely no qualifications in the field of palaeoichthyology whatsoever and all of the information included in this overview is based on my personal observations as an amateur collector and the work of other, better qualified individuals.

 

 

Notable Localities

(Map modified from Blank Map-Africa.svg, Wikipedia)

1 - Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco (Faunal Stage A-B)
2 - Ganntour Basin, Morocco (Faunal Stage A)
3 - Aridal Formation, West Sahara (Faunal Stage C)
4 - Samlat Formation, West Sahara (Faunal Stage C)
5 - Cap de Naze, Senegal (Faunal Stage A)
6 - Tabligbo, Togo (Faunal Stage B)
7 - Iullemmeden Basin, Niger (Faunal Stage A-B)
8 - Djebel Onk, Algeria (Faunal Stage B)
9 - Fayum, Egypt (Faunal Stage C)

 

Key
[“Generic name”] – May belong to a different genus
[“specific name”] – May encompass multiple species within a genus
[Binomial name] – Potential misidentification
[?] – Questionable validity

 

 

Faunal Stage A - Maastrichtian

Group A – Odontaspididae
Subgroup A – Carcharias-affinity
“Carcharias” heathi [2]
Carcharias sp. [12]
 

Group B - Mitsukirinidae
Subgroup A – Anomotodon-affinity
Anomotodon plicatus [1, 2]

Subgroup B – Scapanorhynchus-affinity
Scapanorhynchus rapax [1, 2]
Scapanorhynchus “raphiodon” [1 (Scapanorhynchus rhapiodon)]
Scapanorhynchus tenuis [1]

 

Group C – Serratolamnidae and Otodontidae
Subgroup A – Serratolamnidae
Serratolamna africana [1 (Lamna caraibaea var. africana), 2]
Serratolamna caraibaea [1 (Lamna caraibaea), 2]
“Serratolamna” khderii [2, 18 (Carcharias kdherii)]
“Serratolamna” aff. khderii [2]
Serratolamna serrata [1 (Lamna serrata), 2, 12]

Subgroup B – Cretalamna-affinity
Cretalamna aff. maroccana [2]
Cretalamna arambourgi [1 (Lamna appendiculata) as per 14]
Cretalamna biauriculata [1 (Lamna biauriculata), 2]
Cretalamna lata? [11, 16]
Cretalamna maroccana [1 (Lamna biauriculata var. maroccana), 2, 12]
Cretalamna nigeriana [9 (Lamna biauriculata nigeriana)]
“Cretalamna” schoutedeni (personal observation)
Cretalamna sp. [2]

 

Group D – Anacoracidae and Pseudocoracidae
Subgroup A – Anacoracidae
Nanocorax microserratodon [17]
Squalicorax africanus [2]
Squalicorax bassanii [1 (Corax kaupi), 2]
Squalicorax benguerirensis [1 (Corax yangaensis), 2 (Squalicorax nov. sp. 2), 11]
Squalicorax microserratus [1 (Corax kaupi), 2 (Squalicorax nov. sp. 1), 11]
Squalicorax pristodontus [1, (Corax pristodontus), 2, 12)

Subgroup B – Pseudocoracidae
Pseudocorax affinis [1]
Pseudocorax granti [17]

 

 

Faunal Stage B - Danian - Early Lutetian

Group A – Odontaspididae
Subgroup A – Brachycarcharias-affinity
Brachycarcharias atlasi [1 (Odontaspis substriata mut. atlasi)]
Brachycarcharias lerichei [1 (Odontaspis vincenti), 4]

Subgroup B – Carcharias-affinity
“Carcharias” tingitana [1 (Odontaspis tingitana)]
Hypotodus sp. [1 (Odontaspis hopei s/sp. atlantica)]
Striatolamia macrota [1 (Odontaspis macrota premut. striata)]
Striatolamia striata [4]
Striatolamia whitei [1 (Odontaspis whitei)]

Subgroup C – Odontaspis-affinity
“Carcharias” substriatus? [1 (Odontaspis substriata), 9 (Odontaspis substriata)]
Odontaspis winkleri [1]
Palaeohypotodus sp. [13]

 

Group B - Mitsukirinidae
Subgroup A – Anomotodon-affinity
Anomotodon landanensis [11 (Oxyrhina landanensis)]
Anomotodon cf. novus [11 (Oxyrhina cfr. novus)]

 

Group C – Serratolamnidae and Otodontidae
Subgroup A – Serratolamnidae
Serratolamna aschersoni [1 (Lamna aschersoni), 13]
Serratolamna gafsana [1 (Lamna gafsana), 4]

Subgroup B – Cretalamna-affinity
"Cretalamna" sp. [4]

Subgroup C – Higher Otodontidae
Otodus obliquus [1 (Lamna obliqua), 4, 13]
Palaeocarcharodon orientalis [1 (Carcharodon landanensis)]

 

Group D – Lamnidae
Subgroup A – Isurus-affinity
Isurolamna inflata [11 (Lamna inflata)]
Isurolamna sp. [13]
“Isurus” schoutedeni [11 (Oxyrhina schoutedeni)]

 

Group E – Jaekelotodontidae
Subgroup A – Jaekelotodontidae
Jaekelotodus africanus [1 (Odontaspis robusta var. africana), 4, 13]
Jaekelotodus speyeri [1 (Odontaspis speyeri)]

 

Group F – Alopiidae
Subgroup A - Alopiidae
Alopias denticulatus [3]

 

 

Faunal Stage C - Late Lutetian - Priabonian
Group A – Odontaspididae
Subgroup A – Brachycarcharias-affinity
“Brachycarcharias” koerti [5 ("Carcharias" koerti), 6 ("Carcharias" koerti), 10]
“Tethylamna” twiggsensis [5 ("Cretolamna" twiggsensis), 10 (Brachycarcharias twiggsensis)]
“Tethylamna” cf. twiggsensis [6, 10 (Brachycarcharias cf. twiggsensis)]
Subgroup B – Carcharias-affinity
Carcharias sp. [5]

 

Group B - Mitsukirinidae
Subgroup A – Anomotodon-affinity
Anomotodon cf. cravenensis [10]

 

Group C – Otodontidae
Subgroup D – Higher Otodontidae
Otodus sokolovi [5 (Otodus cf. sokolovi), 6 (Otodus (Carcharocles) cf. sokolovi), 10 (Carcharocles sokolowi)]
Otodus sp. [6 (Otodus (Carcharocles) sp.)]

 

Group D – Lamnidae
Subgroup A – Macrorhizodus-affinity
Macrorhizodus praecursor [5, 6, 10]

 

Group E – Alopiidae
Subgroup A – Alopiidae
Alopias alabamensis [5 (Alopias aff. alabamensis), 10]
Parotodus mangyshlakensis [10]

 

Group E – Xiphodolamiidae
Subgroup A – Xiphodolamiidae
Xiphodolamia serrata [5]

 

 

Citations

Directly Relevant Publications
[1] "Les vertébrés fossiles des gisements de phosphates (Maroc - Algerie - Tunisie)" Arambourg 1952

[2] "Marine vertebrate faunas from the Maastrichtian phosphates of Benguérir (Ganntour basin, Morocco): biostratigraphy, palaeobiogeography and palaeoecology" Cappetta et al. 2014
[3] "The Vertebrates from the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (72.1-47.8 Ma) phosphates of Morocco" Bardet et al. 2017

[4] "A new Palaeogene elasmobranch fauna (Tebessa region, eastern Algeria) and the importance of Algerian-Tunisian phosphates for the North African fossil record" Boulemia et al. 2023
[5] "A Middle-Late Eocene vertebrate fauna (marine fish and mammals) from southwestern Morocco; preliminary report: Age and palaeobiogeographical implications" Adnet et al. 2010
[6] "Middle Eocene vertebrate fauna from the Aridal Formation, Sabkha of Gueran, southwestern Morocco" Zouhri et al. 2021
[7] "Des dents de requins fossiles! 8. Isurus et la lignée des requins-makos (partie b)" Canevet et al. 2018
[8] "New Squalicorax species (Neoselachii: Lamniformes) from the Lower Maastrichtian of Ganntour phosphate deposit, Morocco" Cappetta et al. 2014
[9] "Les poissons Cretaces et Tertiares du Bassin des Iullemmeden (Republique du Niger)" Cappetta 1972

[10] "Shark and ray faunas in the Middle and Late Eocene of the Fayum Area, Egypt" Underwood et al. 2010

[11] "Contribution a la connaissance de la fauna ichthyologique des phosphates du Maroc" Herman 1973

[12] "The Upper Cretaceous elasmobranch fauna from Senegal" Guinot et al. 2023

[13] "Elasmobranchs from the upper Paleocene of Togo" Guinot et al. 2020

 

Indirectly Relevant Publications

[14] "Contribution a l'etude des selaciens du Groupe Monmouth (Campanien-Maestrichtien) du New Jersey" Cappetta et al. 1975
[15] "Stratigraphy and paleobiology of the Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleogene sediments from the Trans-Saharan Seaway in Mali" O'Leary et al. 2019
[16] "Cenomanian—Campanian (Late Cretaceous) Mid-Palaeolatitude Sharks of Cretalamna appendiculata Type" Siversson et al. 2013
[17] "Sharks (Elasmobranchii: Euselachii) from the Late Cretaceous of France and the UK" Guinot et al. 2013
[18] "A selachian fauna from the Late Cretaceous of Jordan" Zalmout et al. 2001

Edited December 14, 2024 by Othniel C. Marsh
Issues with the citations should be rectified now.

[Othniel C. Marsh]

Apologies but I accidentally uploaded this before I'd finished adding the citations. I'll finish doing so shortly.

[doushantuo]

Oth, your attempt is laudable,and pretty reasonable .

Is its intent purely compendial and taxonomical? 

Do you need some help from me,or are you good?

Edited December 14, 2024 by doushantuo

[Othniel C. Marsh]

1 hour ago, doushantuo said:

Is its intent purely compendial and taxonomical? 

 

The resource is primarily intended to assist the identification of lamniforme teeth from the strata concerned, so I focused more on ensuring it was compendial than taxonomically valid. I was initially only going to cover "faunal stages" A and B in the Ouled Abdoun and Ganntour, but noticed there was a great deal of overlap between the lamniforme assemblage of the aforementioned localities and those of other localities of similar age throughout North and West Africa, and so decided to cover all those I had literature on to make a more "well-rounded" guide.

 

1 hour ago, doushantuo said:

Do you need some help from me,or are you good?

 

If you send me a direct message, we can discuss this further.

Edited December 14, 2024 by Othniel C. Marsh

[Notidanodon]

Well put together!

[Othniel C. Marsh]

I feel I ought to clarify that it is not entirely clear what species of Striatolamia is (or, as the case may be, are) present in Faunal Stage B.

According to sharkreferences.com, "Odontaspis macrota striata" (the name given to a number of Striatolamia-like teeth in Arambourg, 1952) is synonymous with Carcharias substriatus, (multi-cuspleted teeth with a thin central cusp and splayed root lobes reminiscent of Brachycarcharias, also mentioned in Arambourg 1952 under the name Odontaspis substriata). These teeth are, evidently, different species. 

Further discussion of the issues surrounding Striatolamia can be found here. In light of these issues I feel that it would be best to label Striatolamia teeth fron the strata concerned as Striatolamia "striata". However, as Faunal stage B encompasses the chronological distribution of both purported Striatolamia species I have included both to be on the safe side.

[newb]

Ooh interesting. Something I’d like to do with some of the East Coast US and Euro/Africa people would be a comparison of the respective shark faunas