Biology:Carcharodon hastalis
| Carcharodon hastalis | |
|---|---|
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| Tooth series of Carcharodon hastalis | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | Lamnidae |
| Genus: | Carcharodon |
| Species: | †C. hastalis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Carcharodon hastalis Agassiz, 1843
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| Synonyms | |
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Carcharodon hastalis is an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived between thirty and one million years ago during the late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene epochs.
Its teeth can reach lengths up to 3.5 in (7.5 cm) and are found worldwide.[3] It is believed to be an ancestor to the modern day great white shark, an argument supported by the transitional species Carcharodon hubbelli,[4][5]
Paleobiology
Hunting behavior
C. hastalis was a confirmed hunter of marine mammals.[6] It most likely would have been one of the major predators in its ecosystem, preying upon small whales and other mammals. Trace fossils in the form of tooth marks on the bones of a Pliocene dolphin of the species Astadelphis gastaldii reveal that C. hastalis attacked its prey from below and behind, much like the modern great white shark does. The deepest bite marks on the dolphin's ribs indicate the shark aimed for the abdomen of its prey to inflict a fatal bite quickly and incapacitate its prey, and that when the dolphin was attacked a second time, it was bitten near the dorsal fin, suggesting that the dolphin rolled over while injured. The size of the bites indicates further that the shark responsible was estimated to be 4 m (13 ft) long.[7]
A well-preserved skeleton of a juvenile C. hastalis from Peru described in 2017 showcases that the shark also included fish in its diet. Stomach contents preserved with the fossil show this shark also fed on pilchards such as ancient sardines (genus Sardinops), suggesting bony fish featured prominently in the shark's diet while it was young.[8]
Description
Carcharodon hastalis teeth can grow up to 8.9 cm (3.5 in) in length, suggesting a very large shark. Its body was probably very similar to that of modern great whites. It is also believed to have a cosmopolitan distribution, with C. hastalis teeth being found worldwide.[9] The maximum adult length is estimated between 5 and 7 m (16 and 23 ft).[10][11] Smaller individuals were about 2.6–4.5 metres (8.5–14.8 ft) long.[12]
References
- ↑ Klug, S.; Kriwet, J., "Skeletal remains of the Miocene lamniform shark, Cosmopolitodus hastalis, from Peru", Erlanger Geologische Abhandlungen 6: 99, https://www.petit-fichier.fr/2013/01/27/klug-s-kriwet-j-2008-cosmopolitodus-hasta/klug-s-kriwet-j-2008-cosmopolitodus-hasta.pdf
- ↑ Ebersole, J.A.; Ebersole, S.M.; Cicimurri, D.J. (2017). "The occurrence of early Pleistocene marine fish remains from the Gulf Coast of Mobile County, Alabama, USA". Palaeodiversity 10 (1): 97–115. doi:10.18476/pale.v10.a6.
- ↑ "Carcharodon hastalis Agassiz 1843 (white shark)". https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=265174.
- ↑ Crumpton, Nick (2012-11-14). "Great whites 'not from megashark'". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20318175.
- ↑ Dana J. Ehret; Bruce J. Macfadden; Douglas S. Jones; Thomas J. Devries; David A. Foster; Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi (2012). "Origin of the white shark Carcharodon (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) based on recalibration of the Upper Neogene Pisco Formation of Peru". Palaeontology. 55 (6): 1139–1153. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2012.01201.x.
- ↑ Godfrey, Stephen J.; Perez, Victor J.; Jones, Marcus; Chapman, Phillip F.; Spencer, Nathan; Osborne, Jason E. (3 July 2025). "New light on the trophic ecology of Carcharodon hastalis from teeth embedded in Miocene cetacean vertebrae from Calvert Cliffs in Maryland, USA". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 70 (2): 329–337. doi:10.4202/app.01241.2025. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/393367603. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ↑ "Jaws -- 4 million BC: How an extinct shark attacked its prey". https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100316142519.htm.
- ↑ Collareta, Alberto; Landini, Walter; Chacaltana Budiel, César Augusto; Valdivia Vera, Waldir; Altamirano Sierra, Ali J.; Urbina Schmitt, Mario; Bianucci, Giovanni (March 2017). "A well preserved skeleton of the fossil shark Cosmopolitodus hastalis from the late Miocene of Peru, featuring fish remains as fossilized stomach contents". Repositorio Institucional Ingemmet. https://repositorio.ingemmet.gob.pe/handle/20.500.12544/723.
- ↑ "Great White Sharks and Prehistoric White Sharks". http://www.fossilguy.com/gallery/vert/fish-shark/carcharodon/index.htm.
- ↑ Patrick L. Jambura; Julia Türtscher; Faviel A. López-Romero; Catalina Pimiento; Jürgen Kriwet (2019). On the origin of the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias.
- ↑ Pimiento, C.; Cantalapiedra, J.L.; Shimada, K.; Field, D.J.; Smaers, J.B. (2019). "Evolutionary pathways toward gigantism in sharks and rays". Evolution 73 (3): 588–599. doi:10.1111/evo.13680. ISSN 1558-5646. PMID 30675721. Bibcode: 2019Evolu..73..588P. https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa48696/Download/0048696-05022019162842.pdf.
- ↑ McCormack, Jeremy; Griffiths, Michael L.; Kim, Sora L.; Shimada, Kenshu; Karnes, Molly; Maisch, Harry; Pederzani, Sarah; Bourgon, Nicolas et al. (31 May 2022). "Trophic position of Otodus megalodon and great white sharks through time revealed by zinc isotopes" (in en). Nature Communications 13 (1): 2980. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-30528-9. ISSN 2041-1723. PMID 35641494. Bibcode: 2022NatCo..13.2980M.
Wikidata ☰ Q3803933 entry
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