Megalolamna
Name:
Megalolamna
(big Lamna).
Phonetic: Meg-ah-lam-nah.
Named By: K. Shimada, R. E. Chandler, O.
L. T. Lam, T. Tanaka & D. J. Ward - 2016.
Classification: Chordata, Chondrichthyes,
Elasmobranchii, Lamniformes, Otodontidae.
Species: M. paradoxodon
(type).
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore.
Size: Teeth up to 5 centimetres long. Detailed
study of the teeth has led to size estimations of about 4 meters
long.
Known locations: Japan. Peru. USA.
Time period: Miocene.
Fossil representation: Teeth.
Megalolamna
is a genus of shark
that lived during the Miocene period. So far only
teeth of this shark have been found, but these are known from as far
apart as Japan to Peru and even the states of California and North
Carolina in the USA. These locations tell us that Megalolamna
was not
only active in the Pacific Ocean, but also frequented the Atlantic as
well. This makes even more sense when you realise that during the
Miocene, there was actually a seaway that separated the continents of
North and South America, allowing a convenient passage for marine
animals travelling between the two oceans.
Study
of the teeth and reconstructions of the jaw indicate that Megalolamna
could realistically grow to lengths of about four meters. By
comparison the largest predatory shark alive today, the famous great
white (Carcharodon carcharias), is known to
often exceed six
meters in length. With that said a large Megalolamna
would still be
big enough to be dangerous to a person swimming, though Megalolamna
would have been a metaphorical minnow when compared to the truly giant
sharks of the Miocene such as the infamous C.
megalodon.
Further reading
- A new elusive otodontid shark (Lamniformes: Otodontidae) from
the lower Miocene, and comments on the taxonomy of otodontid genera,
including the 'megatoothed' clade. - Historical Biology:
1–11. - K. Shimada, R. E. Chandler, O. L. T.
Lam, T. Tanaka & D. J. Ward - 2016.
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