Shark vertebrae question

[DevilDog]

I recently found a nice shark vertebra on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. It's about 1.5" in diameter and 3/8" thick. Are there any identifiable differences between shark species' vertebrae or do all shark vertebrae pretty much look the same?

DD

[Auspex]

There are two fundamental types; identifying beyond that is difficult.

[DevilDog]

Mine would be like the ones on the left side of the picture.

DD

[Auspex]

There are about 149 species in 17 genera of extant "Cat Sharks", more as extinct. The large size of yours may eliminate some from consideration, but even getting to genus is a tall order.

[Shellseeker]

I have also found one of my best shark verts yesterday.

It is 31 mm diameter and 20mm high.

It is not only which sharks fit scyliorhinoid type, but also which shark teeth are we finding.

So we are finding in addition to a very occasional GW or Mako (no Megs).

Then a very occasional Lemon or Hammerhead tooth.

We are finding approximately 55% Dusky, 25% Tiger, 10% Bull, 10% Snaggletooth..

So, my question is What are the top 5 shark teeth types found from scyliorhinoid in the Southeast coast? I know that one of them is Snaggletooth. Is there a list of common scyliorhinoid sharks?

[sixgill pete]

There are two fundamental types; identifying beyond that is difficult.

~.jpg

I think the verts in the left on the picture are Carcharhiniform of which Scyliorhinid is a member. This family, the groundsharks, includes catsharks, swellsharks, shysharks, houndsharks, weasel sharks, requiem and hammerhead sharks. The requiem sharks are the Carcharhinus species.

Edited January 10, 2016 by sixgill pete

[sixgill pete]

So, my question is What are the top 5 shark teeth types found from scyliorhinoid in the Southeast coast? I know that one of them is Snaggletooth. Is there a list of common scyliorhinoid sharks?

Hemipristis is a ground shark, but not Scyliorhinoid. Only Cat Sharks are Scyliorhinoid.

[Shellseeker]

I think the verts in the left on the picture are Carcharhiniform of which Scyliorhinid is a member.

From what I am reading, the Carcharhinus species also include Dusky, Bull, and Tiger with is 90% of our shark teeth found.

[sixgill pete]

From what I am reading, the Carcharhinus species also include Dusky, Bull, and Tiger with is 90% of our shark teeth found.

That is correct. Dusky, Bull. Sandbar, Copper, Galapagos, Silky, Finetooth, Blacktip, Oceanic Whitetip, Hardnose, Cribean Ref among others are all in the family along with Tigers, hemi's and quite a few others

[PaleoWilliam]

I have also found one of my best shark verts yesterday.

FullSizeRender.jpgSharkVert.jpg

It is 31 mm diameter and 20mm high.

It is not only which sharks fit scyliorhinoid type, but also which shark teeth are we finding.

So we are finding in addition to a very occasional GW or Mako (no Megs).

Then a very occasional Lemon or Hammerhead tooth.

We are finding approximately 55% Dusky, 25% Tiger, 10% Bull, 10% Snaggletooth..

So, my question is What are the top 5 shark teeth types found from scyliorhinoid in the Southeast coast? I know that one of them is Snaggletooth. Is there a list of common scyliorhinoid sharks?

That's a nice vert!

[Harry Pristis]

I think the verts in the left on the picture are Carcharhiniform of which Scyliorhinid is a member. This family, the groundsharks, includes . . .

Please don't confuse morphology of the vertebrae with taxonomy. Scyliorhinoid, as Bretton Kent used it, and as I used it to compose the image Auspex posted, is NOT a taxon.

[MarcoSr]

Try to get a copy of the paper:

KOZUCH, L., & C. FITZGERALD. 1989. A Guide to Identifying Shark Centra from Southeastern Archaeological Sites. Southeastern Archaeology, 8(2):146-157.

It contains a very good discussion of shark centra/vertebra identification with a good number of extant shark vertebrae pictures. I found it a while back on the web as a free download but wasn't able to find it when I just searched the web. I only have it as a hardcopy.

Marco Sr.

[Shellseeker]

That's a nice vert!

Thanks!! Complete Shark vertebrae are extremely rare. They break up in the rough and tumble river environments during the rainy/flood season. I do not find many pieces of shark vert, much less a complete one in reddish brown color. I only have 5 of these in the last 7 years. SS

[sixgill pete]

Please don't confuse morphology of the vertebrae with taxonomy. Scyliorhinoid, as Bretton Kent used it, and as I used it to compose the image Auspex posted, is NOT a taxon.

Yes Harry you are correct, I think my reply did not come across as I intended it. What I was trying to tell the original poster was not to assume, because of the image, that his vertebra was Catshark, that it could be from anyone of the Carcharhiniforms. Thanks for helping me clear up my thought on this.

[siteseer]

Shellseeker,

In Purdy et al (2001), the the third Lee Creek volume put out by the Smithsonian, these thicker carcharhiniform vertebrae were identified as belonging to Galeocerdo, a tiger shark. I have not heard of anyone disagreeing with the ID. I have one like it from Bone Valley.

Jess

I have also found one of my best shark verts yesterday.

FullSizeRender.jpgSharkVert.jpg

It is 31 mm diameter and 20mm high.

It is not only which sharks fit scyliorhinoid type, but also which shark teeth are we finding.

So we are finding in addition to a very occasional GW or Mako (no Megs).

Then a very occasional Lemon or Hammerhead tooth.

We are finding approximately 55% Dusky, 25% Tiger, 10% Bull, 10% Snaggletooth..

So, my question is What are the top 5 shark teeth types found from scyliorhinoid in the Southeast coast? I know that one of them is Snaggletooth. Is there a list of common scyliorhinoid sharks?

[MarcoSr]

Shellseeker,

In Purdy et al (2001), the the third Lee Creek volume put out by the Smithsonian, these thicker carcharhiniform vertebrae were identified as belonging to Galeocerdo, a tiger shark. I have not heard of anyone disagreeing with the ID. I have one like it from Bone Valley.

Jess

Jess

Shark vertebrae of different genera/species can look very similar. It is almost impossible to id a vertebra by pictures. There are a good number of physical measurements which must be taken and at least 14 vertebra features looked at. Features like septae, a number of general characteristics, foramina, and pores. Carcharhinus vertebrae, for instance, look very similar also to the one in question. Galeocerdo cuvieri has a very distinctive pore pattern with pores that appear to follow the outline of the vertebra rim and the foramina, The pores are also regularly placed as if stitched by a machine. Also vertebra thickness is related to the vertebra position in the shark vertebral column.

Marco Sr.

[JennNnEJ]

On 1/10/2016 at 3:02 PM, Shellseeker said:

I have also found one of my best shark verts yesterday.

It is 31 mm diameter and 20mm high.

It is not only which sharks fit scyliorhinoid type, but also which shark teeth are we finding.

So we are finding in addition to a very occasional GW or Mako (no Megs).

Then a very occasional Lemon or Hammerhead tooth.

We are finding approximately 55% Dusky, 25% Tiger, 10% Bull, 10% Snaggletooth..

So, my question is What are the top 5 shark teeth types found from scyliorhinoid in the Southeast coast? I know that one of them is Snaggletooth. Is there a list of common scyliorhinoid sharks?

I know this is a old thread, but wanted to share mine. 

[Shellseeker]

53 minutes ago, JennNnEJ said:

I know this is a old thread, but wanted to share mine. 

As you can see, Shark vert is a difficult topic to get results on...

However,  Beside the Dolphin Vert,  I can ID the vert directly under on the left side... It is a Filefish vert