Large deadfalls of the ʻginsuʼ shark Cretoxyrhina mantelli (Agassiz, 1835) (Neoselachii, Lamniformes) from the Upper Cretaceous of northeastern Italy
Amalfitano, Jacopo (University of Padova. Department of Geosciences)
Giusberti, Luca (Institute of Geosciences and Georesources)
Fornaciari, Eliana (University of Padova. Department of Geosciences)
Dalla Vecchia, Fabio (Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont)
Luciani, Valeria (University of Ferrara. Department of Physics and Earth Sciences)
Kriwet, Jürgen (University of Vienna. Department of Palaeontology)
Carnevale, Giorgio (University of Torino. Department of Earth Sciences)

Fecha:	2019
Resumen:	Cretoxyrhina mantelli was a large pelagic lamniform shark geographically widespread during the Late Cretaceous, and well known because of several nearly complete skeletons from the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Here we report 15 partial skeletons belonging to lamniform sharks from the 'lastame' lithozone of the Upper Cretaceous Scaglia Rossa Formation of the Lessini Mountains (northeastern Italy). Seven partial but articulated skeletons include tooth sets that allow a confident attribution to Cretoxyrhina mantelli based on dental morphologies. We review the taxonomic history of C. mantelli, evidencing that the taxon was erected by Agassiz (1835) and tracing back four of the original syntypes. Based on calcareous plankton biostratigraphy, the rock in which the Italian skeletal remains are embedded is constrained to the middle-upper Turonian. Total length estimates of the specimens suggest that the sample includes the largest specimen of Cretoxyrhina mantelli (615-650 cm estimated total length) known to date. The placoid scale morphology indicates that C. mantelli most likely was a fast swimmer with a similar ecology as the extant white shark, Carcharodon carcharias. The associated skeletal elements of the specimens represent large chondrichthyan deadfalls and the cadavers decayed on the seafloor where they remained exposed for several months, as indicated by bioerosional traces, some of which are interpreted as a product of bone-eating worm activities and other bioerosional traces with Gastrochaenolites-like structure. The Cretoxyrhina mantelli remains described herein provide new information about the ʻlastameʼ vertebrate assemblage, which seemingly was strongly dominated by chondrichthyans, especially lamniform sharks.
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Lengua:	Anglès
Documento:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Materia:	Lamniform sharks ; Taxonomy ; Upper Cretaceous ; Paleobiology ; Taphonomy
Publicado en:	Cretaceous research, Vol. 98 (June 2019) , p. 250-275, ISSN 1095-998X

DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2019.02.003

Postprint 73 p, 7.6 MB

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Documentos de investigación > Documentos de los grupos de investigación de la UAB > Centros y grupos de investigación (producción científica) > Ciencias > Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP)
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