Heterodonty and ontogenetic shift dynamics in the dentition of the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier (Chondrichthyes, Galeocerdidae)

Autor(en)
Julia Türtscher, Patrick Leopold Jambura, Faviel Alejandro López Romero, R. Kindlimann, Keichii Sato, Taketeru Tomita, Jürgen Kriwet
Abstrakt

The lifelong tooth replacement in elasmobranch fishes (sharks, rays and skates) has
led to the assemblage of a great number of teeth from fossil and extant species, rendering tooth morphology an important character for taxonomic descriptions, analysing phylogenetic interrelationships and deciphering their evolutionary history (e.g. origination, divergence, extinction). Heterodonty (exhibition of different tooth morphologies) occurs in most elasmobranch species and has proven to be one of the main challenges for these analyses. Although numerous shark species are discovered and described every year, detailed descriptions of tooth morphologies and heterodonty patterns are lacking or are only insufficiently known for most species. Here, we use landmark-based 2D geometric morphometrics on teeth of the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier to analyse and describe dental heterodonties among four different ontogenetic stages ranging from embryo to adult. Our results reveal rather gradual and subtle ontogenetic shape changes, mostly characterized by increasing size and complexity of the teeth. We furthermore provide the first comprehensive description of embryonic dental morphologies in tiger sharks. Also, tooth shapes of tiger sharks in different ontogenetic stages are re-assessed and depicted in detail. Finally, multiple cases of tooth file reversal are described. This study, therefore, contributes to our knowledge of dental traits across ontogeny in the extant tiger shark G. cuvier and provides a baseline for further morphological and genetic studies on the dental variation in sharks. Therefore, it has the potential to assist elucidating the underlying developmental and evolutionary processes behind the vast dental diversity observed in elasmobranch fishes today and in deep time.

Organisation(en)
Institut für Paläontologie
Externe Organisation(en)
Haimuseum und Sammlung R. Kindlimann, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Journal
Journal of Anatomy
Band
241
Seiten
372-392
Anzahl der Seiten
21
ISSN
0021-8782
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13668
Publikationsdatum
04-2022
Peer-reviewed
Ja
ÖFOS 2012
105118 Paläontologie
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Molecular Biology, Anatomy, Cell Biology, Histology, Developmental Biology
Link zum Portal
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/de/publications/heterodonty-and-ontogenetic-shift-dynamics-in-the-dentition-of-the-tiger-shark-galeocerdo-cuvier-chondrichthyes-galeocerdidae(f1bc4b91-4331-46d3-92ad-4a8a140656f9).html