Carcharias undetermined

Cicimurri, David J. & Knight, James L., 2022, Late Eocene (Priabonian) elasmobranchs from the Dry Branch Formation (Barnwell Group) of Aiken County, South Carolina, USA, PaleoBios 36, pp. 1-31 : 7

CF. CARCHARIAS SP.

( FIG. 2I–O )

Referred specimens —SC96.97.42, second upper right anterior tooth ( Fig. 2N ); SC96.97.43, lower left lateral tooth ( Fig. 2O ); SC96.97.44.1, second lower right anterior tooth ( Fig. 2M ); SC96.97.44.2, four teeth; SC96.97.45, 236 incomplete teeth; SC2001.1.55, third lower right anterior tooth ( Fig. 2I ); SC2001.1.56, anterior tooth; SC2001.1.57, third upper right anterior tooth ( Fig. 2J, K ); SC2001.1.58, six incomplete anterior teeth; SC2001.1.59, first lower right anterior tooth ( Fig. 2L ); SC2001.1.60, three posterior teeth; SC2001.1.61, 40 incomplete teeth; SC2013.38.8, anterolateral tooth; SC2013.38.9, four partial teeth; SC2013.38.10, three partial teeth; SC2013.38.11, lateral tooth; SC2013.38.12, 14 tooth fragments; SC2013.38.13, tooth; SC2013.38.14, two incomplete anterior teeth.

Remarks —The 332 teeth in the sample are similar to extant Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 , and examination of two Recent dentitions of this species (SC2001.120.6 and SC86.62.2) allowed us to identify various anterior and lateral positions in the fossil species. Unfortunately, diagenetic alteration of the teeth makes confidently assigning the fossil material to any of various species that have been reported from Eocene strata difficult, as characteristics that have been used for species identification, like the number and shape of lateral cusplets and crown ornamentation, are generally not evident or imperfectly preserved.

Figures

Figure 2. Shark teeth from the Dry Branch Formation (Priabonian) of Aiken County, South Carolina. A–D. Notorynchus sp. cf. No. kempi teeth. Lower left tooth in lingual (A) and labial (B) views, SC2013.38.1. Lower right tooth in labial (C) and lingual (D) views, SC96.97.4. E. Squatina sp. cf. Sq. prima. Antero-lateral tooth in labial view, SC96.97.9. F,G. Nebrius sp. cf. Neb. thielensi. Anterolateral tooth in labial (F) and occlusal (G) views, SC2013.38.5. Labial at top in G. H. Ginglymostomatidae. Tooth in labial view, SC2013.38.7. I–O. Carcharias sp. Third lower right anterior tooth in labial (I) view, SC2001.1.55. Third upper right anterior tooth in lingual (J) and labial (K) views, SC2001.1.57. First lower right anterior tooth in labial (L) view, SC2001.1.59. Second lower right anterior tooth in labial (M) view, SC96.97.44.1. Second upper right anterior tooth in lingual (N) view, SC96.97.42. Lower left lateral tooth in lingual (O) view, SC96.97.43. P–S. Alopias sp. Tooth in labial (P) and lingual (Q) views, SC2001.1.65. Tooth in labial (R) and lingual (S) views, SC2001.1.66. Scale bars=1 cm in A–D, I–K, N, O; 5 mm in E–G, L–M, P–S; 1 mm in H.