''Otodus angustidens'' is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of prehistoric megatoothed sharks in the genus ''

Otodus ''Otodus'' is an extinct genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene epoch. The name ''Otodus'' comes from Ancient Greek (, meaning "ear") and (, meaning "tooth") – thus, "ear-shaped tooth". Anatomy This shark is ...

'', which lived during the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

and

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

epochs about 33 to 22 million years ago. This shark is related to another extinct megatoothed shark, ''

Otodus megalodon Megalodon (''Otodus megalodon''), meaning "big tooth", is an extinct species of mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs. It was formerly thought to be a member ...

''.

Taxonomy

The

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

naturalist

Louis Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he rec ...

, first identified this shark as a species of genus ''

Carcharodon ''Carcharodon'' () is a genus of sharks within the family Lamnidae. The only extant member is the great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''). Hubell's white shark ('' Carcharodon hubbelli'') is an extinct member of this genus. Megalodon ...

'' in 1835. In 1964, shark expert, L. S. Glikman recognized the transition of ''

Otodus obliquus ''Otodus'' is an extinct genus of mackerel shark which lived from the Paleocene to the Pliocene epoch. The name ''Otodus'' comes from Ancient Greek (, meaning "ear") and (, meaning "tooth") – thus, "ear-shaped tooth". Anatomy This shark is k ...

'' to ''C. auriculatus'' and moved ''C. angustidens'' to genus ''Otodus''. (See "external links" below) However, in 1987, shark expert H. Cappetta recognized the '' C. auriculatus'' - ''C. megalodon'' lineage and placed all related megatooth sharks along with this species in the genus ''Carcharocles''. The complete ''Otodus obliquus'' to ''C. megalodon'' transition then became clear and has since gained the acceptance of many other experts with the passage of time. Within the ''Carcharocles'' lineage, ''C. angustidens'' is the species succeeding ''C. sokolovi'' and is followed by '' C. chubutensis''. In 2001, a discovery of the best preserved ''Carcharocles angustidens'' specimen to date by two scientists, Michael D. Gottfried and

Ewan Fordyce Ewan is an anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic name Eòghann. It is possibly a derivative of the Pictish name, ''Vuen'' (or 'Wen'), "The Warrior" or "born of the mountain". It is most common as a male given name in Scotland and Canada. It is a ...

, has been presented by the team as evidence for close morphological ties with the extant

great white shark The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ...

, and the team argued that ''Carcharocles angustidens'', along with all other related megatooth sharks, including ''Carcharocles megalodon'', should be assigned to ''

'' as was done before by Louis Agassiz., although this is not internationally accepted by the scientific community.

Size estimation

Like other known megatooth sharks, the fossils of ''O. angustidens'' indicate that it was considerably larger than the extant

, ''Carcharodon carcharias''. The well preserved specimen from New Zealand is estimated at in length. This specimen had teeth measuring up to in

diagonal In geometry, a diagonal is a line segment joining two vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, when those vertices are not on the same edge. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal. The word ''diagonal'' derives from the ancient Greek δ ...

length, and vertebral centra around in diameter. However, reports of larger ''O. angustidens'' fossils have been made.

Dentition

The

dental formula Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...

for ''O. angustidens'' is

Diet

''O. angustidens'' was an

apex predator An apex predator, also known as a top predator, is a predator at the top of a food chain, without natural predators of its own. Apex predators are usually defined in terms of trophic dynamics, meaning that they occupy the highest trophic lev ...

and likely preyed upon

penguin Penguins (order (biology), order List of Sphenisciformes by population, Sphenisciformes , family (biology), family Spheniscidae ) are a group of Water bird, aquatic flightless birds. They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere: on ...

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

s, and

baleen whale Baleen whales (systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their ...

Fossil record

As is the case with most

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

sharks, this species is also known from

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, tear ...

and some fossilized

vertebral centra The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic ...

. Shark

skeleton A skeleton is the structural frame that supports the body of an animal. There are several types of skeletons, including the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside ...

s are composed of

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...

and not

bone A bone is a Stiffness, rigid Organ (biology), organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red blood cell, red and white blood cells, store minerals, provid ...

, and cartilage rarely gets

ized. Hence, fossils of ''O. angustidens'' are generally poorly preserved. To date, the best preserved specimen of this species have been excavated from

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, which comprises 165 associated teeth and about 35 associated vertebral centra. This specimen is around 26 million years old. ''O. angustidens''

are noted for their triangular crowns and small side cusps that are fully serrated. The serrations are very sharp and very well pronounced. ''O. angustidens'' was a widely distributed species with fossils found in:''Carcharocles angustidens''
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...

.org A fossil bed in South Carolina suggests that ''O. angustidens'' utilized the area as a birthing ground and nursery for their pups, as 89% of the teeth found in the area belonged to juveniles, 3% belonged to infants, and 8% belonged to adults. ;North America *

Yazoo Formation Yazoo Clay is a clay geologic formation in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It was named after a bluff along the Yazoo River at Yazoo City, Mississippi It contains is a type of clay known as montmorillonite, making it a poor foundation mater ...

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Jewett Sand Formation The Jewett Sand Formation is a geologic formation in California, USA. It preserves fossils dating back to the Miocene Epoch of the Neogene period. Vertebrates Cartilaginous fishes Sharks 200px, Fossil teeth of ''C. hastalis'' *''†Alopias ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

* Clinchfield Formation,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

Calvert Formation The Calvert Formation is a geologic formation in Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. It preserves fossils dating back to the early to middle Miocene epoch of the Neogene period. The formation is a destination for amateur fossil hunters as well as pr ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Jackson Group The Jackson Group is a geologic group in Arkansas and North Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene to Neogene period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuati ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Kirkwood Formation The Kirkwood Formation is a geological Geological formation, formation found in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces in South Africa. It is one of the four formations found within the Uitenhage Group of the Algoa Basin – its type locality – ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

* Castle Hayne Formation,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

* Hawthorne Formation,

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Chandler Bridge Formation The Chandler Bridge Formation is a geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Chattian (Late Oligocene) of the Paleogene period, corresponding to the Arikareean in the NALMA classification.

;Europe *

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

Paris Basin The Paris Basin is one of the major geological regions of France. It developed since the Triassic over remnant uplands of the Variscan orogeny (Hercynian orogeny). The sedimentary basin, no longer a single drainage basin, is a large sag in th ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

* Leipzig / Stoermthal,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

;Asia * Ashiya Group,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

;Oceania * Ettric,

Jan Juc Jan Juc is a suburb of Torquay, Victoria. At the 2016 census, Jan Juc had a population of 3,683. History Nearby Bellbrae was originally called Jan Juc but was renamed in 1923, so the Jan Juc Post Office, which opened on 25 January 1862, wa ...

, Gambier Limestone, Clifton Formations,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

* Otekaike Formation,

;Africa ;South America *

Dos Bocas Formation The Dos Bocas Formation is a Chattian, about 26 to 24 Ma, ( Deseadan in the SALMA classification) geologic formation of the Progreso Basin in southwestern Ecuador. Description The formation comprises moderately-sorted, fine to medium sandston ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

References

External links

A large extinct white shark: Carcharodon angustidens from New Zealand Oligocene rocks.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carcharocles Angustidens angustidens Oligocene sharks Miocene sharks Chattian species first appearances Aquitanian species extinctions Fossils of Australia Paleogene Ecuador Fossils of Ecuador Fossils of France Fossils of Japan Fossils of New Zealand Paleogene United States Fossils of Georgia (U.S. state) Fossils of Mississippi Fossils of New Jersey Fossils of North Carolina Fossils of South Carolina Fossil taxa described in 1843 Taxa named by Louis Agassiz