The Early Pliocene extinction of the mega-toothed shark Otodus megalodon: a view from the eastern North Pacific.

ABSTRACT: The extinct giant shark Otodus megalodon is the last member of the predatory megatoothed lineage and is reported from Neogene sediments from nearly all continents. The timing of the extinction of Otodus megalodon is thought to be Pliocene, although reports of Pleistocene teeth fuel speculation that Otodus megalodon may still be extant. The longevity of the Otodus lineage (Paleocene to Pliocene) and its conspicuous absence in the modern fauna begs the question: when and why did this giant shark become extinct? Addressing this question requires a densely sampled marine vertebrate fossil record in concert with a robust geochronologic framework. Many historically important basins with stacked Otodus-bearing Neogene marine vertebrate fossil assemblages lack we

SUBMITTER: Boessenecker RW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6377595 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature