Born for greatness: On the origin and body size evolution of lamniform sharks (Chondrichthyes; Elasmobranchii)
- Author(s)
- Patrick Leopold Jambura-Türtscher, Julia Jambura-Türtscher, Eduardo Villalobos Segura, Manuel Andreas Staggl, René Lauer, Bruce Lauer, Kenshu Shimada, Gavin Naylor, Charlie J. Underwood, Christopher J. Duffin, David J. Ward, Jürgen Kriwet
- Abstract
In the current genomic era, palaeontology remains crucial for understanding macroevolutionary
patterns and dynamics. Despite a relatively rich fossil record, the early evolution of lamniform sharks, a group including iconic predators like the white shark and the extinct †Otodus megalodon, remains poorly understood due to the scarcity of complete fossils. The Late Jurassic shark †Palaeocarcharias stromeri, currently considered the oldest lamniform, displays a mosaic of orectolobiform (body) and lamniform (dental) traits, complicating its classification. Our revized morphological and phylogenetic analysis of †P. stromeri from the Solnhofen Archipelago confirms it as a stem-group lamniform, with orectolobiform features likely being adaptations to a benthic lifestyle. Ancestral state analyses suggest that lamniform sharks originated in the early Middle Jurassic as small, benthic coastal sharks. In contrast to previous studies, our results show that the shift towards larger body size in lamniform sharks was not abrupt, but gradual and was linked to the transition into the pelagic realm during the Early to early Late Cretaceous. This study highlights the importance of integrating fossil data into macroevolutionary analyses to improve ancestral state reconstructions. We thus advocate for future studies to combine molecular and fossil data, to improve the accuracy of evolutionary trait analyses.- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Lauer Foundation for Paleontology, Science & Education, DePaul University, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of London, Natural History Museum London
- Pages
- 61-61
- No. of pages
- 1
- Publication date
- 12-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105118 Palaeontology
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/3c2a31dd-662d-42e2-8fb8-51a600485aa3