Serratolamna was a genus of prehistoric shark which lived from the late Cretaceous Period to the Eocene Epoch of the Paleogene Period, approximately 75-45 million years ago. The genus is currently divided into several species, of which the species S. serrata is found within the Hell Creek Formation and other formations elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere within rocks dated to the Campanian and Maastrichtian Stages of the late Cretaceous.
There are currently eight species of Serratolamna known to science, with distinctions between them made due to very subtle differences in tooth morphology. While teeth belonging to various species of Serratolamna have been found across the globe, fossils of S. serrata specifically are found along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and also in what would have been the Western Interior Seaway. With regards to North America’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts, fossil teeth ascribed to Serratolamna serrata have been found in Campanian-aged deposits in New Jersey and Alabama, and within Maastrichtian-aged deposits in New Jersey, Maryland, North Carolina, Arkansas, and Texas. Concerning the fossils found within the center of the continent, which would have been underwater during the late Cretaceous, fossil teeth of S. serrata have been found within the Fox Hills Formation of North Dakota and South Dakota and also within the Breien Member of the Hell Creek Formation within North Dakota. The small number of fossil teeth found within the interior of North America in the Dakotas suggests that Serratolamna serrata was fairly common along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts but was rarely encountered within the Western Interior Seaway. It therefore had either a small native population or perhaps it was just an occasional visitor to that area. In all cases, Serratolamna teeth are not found within deepwater sediment deposits, suggesting that this species preferred shallow coastal waters, and therefore likely lived a similar lifestyle to modern-day reef sharks or requiem sharks.
The shape of the teeth, which are most similar to the teeth of modern-day sand tiger sharks (Odontaspididae) and to the Porbeagle (Lamna nasus), suggests that Serratolamna was primarily a fish eater. Based upon the size of the teeth and comparing them with the tooth/body size ratio of other lamniform sharks, it’s believed that Serratolamna grew to be around 5 feet long.
Serratolamna serrata. © Jason R. Abdale (September 25, 2024).
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Categories: Paleontology, Uncategorized
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