Scapanorhynchus Explained

Scapanorhynchus (from Greek, Modern (1453-);: σκάφιου, 'shovel' and Greek, Modern (1453-);: ῥύγχος 'snout')^[1] is an extinct genus of shark that lived from the early Cretaceous until possibly the Miocene if S. subulatus is a mitsukurinid and not a sand shark.^{[2] [3]} Their extreme similarities to the living goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni, lead some experts^{[4] [5]} to consider reclassifying it as Scapanorhynchus owstoni. However, most shark specialists regard the goblin shark to be distinct enough from its prehistoric relatives to merit placement in its own genus.

Scapanorhynchus had an elongated, albeit flattened snout and sharp awl-shaped teeth ideal for seizing fish, or tearing chunks of flesh from its prey. Scapanorhynchus normally did not exceed total length 4.15m (13.62feet), although largest teeth with height about 6cm (02inches) indicates upper total length of 6.7m (22feet).^[6]

Further reading

• Case, G and Schwimmer, D., 1998. Late Cretaceous fish from the Blufftown Formation (Campanian) in Western Georgia. Journal of Paleontology., 62(2). pp 290–301.
• Kent, B., 1994. Fossil Sharks of the Chesapeake Region. Egan Rees & Boyer, Maryland. 146 pp

Notes and References

1. Book: Lineaweaver . Thomas H. . The natural history of sharks . 1973 . Garden City, N.Y. : Anchor Natural History Books . 978-0-385-02539-3 . 220 .
2. Capetta, H., Chondrichthyes II, Mesozoic and CenozoicElasmobranchii, vol. 3B of Handbook of Paleoichthyology, Stuttgart, New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag, 1987.
3. Glickman, L. S., and A. O. Averianov. "Evolution of the Cretaceous Lamnoid sharks of the genus Eostriatolamia." PALEONTOLOGICAL JOURNAL C/C OF PALEONTOLOGICHESKII ZHURNAL 32 (1998): 376-384. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander_Averianov/publication/235806158_Evolution_of_the_Cretaceous_lamnoid_sharks_of_the_genus_Eostriatolamia/links/548bdd830cf225bf669f8c07.pdf
4. http://www.helsinki.fi/~mhaaramo/metazoa/deuterostoma/chordata/chondrichthyes/elasmobranchii/lamniformes/mitsukurinidae.html Mikko's Phylogeny Archive
5. Web site: List of Nominal Species of Mitsukurinidae (Goblin shark) . 2024-01-23 . Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. . 2010 . FishBase.
6. K. . Shimada . J. . Seigel . 2005 . The relationship between the tooth size and total body length in the goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni (Lamniformes: Mitsukurinidae) . Journal of Fossil Research . 38 . 1 . 49–56.