Squalicorax
| Squalicorax Temporal range: Cretaceous
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Squalicorax sp. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | Cappetta,1987
|
| Genus: | Squalicorax
|
| Species | |
|
See text. | |
Squalicorax ("crow shark") is a genus of extinct lamniform shark known to have lived during the Cretaceous period. A fully articulated (fully-formed) 1.9 m long fossil skeleton of Squalicorax (S. falcatus) has been found in Kansas, evidence of its presence in the Western Interior Seaway. Large numbers of fossil teeth have been found in Europe, North Africa, and other parts of North America. From the size of its largest known teeth, it can be estimated that Squalicorax pristodontus grew to 5 m (16.5 ft) in length.
Squalicorax was a predator, but also scavenged as evidenced by a Squalicorax tooth found embedded in the metatarsal (foot) bone of a terrestrial hadrosaurid dinosaur that most likely died on land and ended up in the water. Other food sources included turtles, mosasaurs, ichthyodectes and other bony fishes and sea creatures.
Species
- Squalicorax bassanii Gemmelaro 1920
- Squalicorax curvatus Williston 1900
- Squalicorax falcatus Agassiz 1843
- Squalicorax kaupi Agassiz 1843
- Squalicorax pristodontus Agassiz 1843
In Popular culture
Squalicorax is featured in Sea Monsters, although it was not identified in the show.
It also appeared in Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure, chasing down a young Dolichorhynchops and biting off a small chunk of her hind left flipper, leaving one of it's teeth in it. while continuing the chase, it gets eaten by Tylosaurus. Once again, it was only called "A smaller shark" or just a shark.
References
- H. Cappetta, Handbook of Paleoichthyology (Gustav Fischer, 1987)
External links
