Cosmopolitodus

Cosmopolitodus
Temporal range: Rupelian-Quarternary, c. 30–1.07 Ma
Teeth of C. hastalis.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Division:
Selachii
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Chondrichthyes
Subclass:
Elasmobranchii
Order:
Lamniformes
Family:
Lamnidae
Genus:
†Cosmopolitodus

Glyckman, 1964
Type species
†Cosmopolitodus hastalis
Agassiz, 1838
Species
  • †C. hastalis Agassiz, 1838
  • †C. xiphodon Agassiz, 1843
  • †C. planus Agassiz, 1856
Synonyms
  • Isurus hastalis Agassiz, 1843
  • Carcharodon hastalis Agassiz, 1843
  • Isurus xiphodon Agassiz, 1838
  • Oxyrhina hastalis Agassiz, 1838
  • Isurus planus Agassiz, 1856
  • Oxyrhina plana Agassiz, 1856

Cosmopolitodus is an extinct genus of potentially dubious mackerel sharks that lived in 30 to 1.07 milions years ago, between the Oligocene and Pleistocene. The type species is the Cosmopolitodus hastalis. The genus is formerly known from the appelid of "Broad-toothed mako shark" or "Extinct giant white shark".

The Isurus planus was been replaced in the genus in 2021. Some paleontologist classified the genus as synonym of Carcharodon.

Cosmopolitodus might be paraphyletic so Carcharodon hastalis, Carcharodon planus, and Carcharodon planus are favored over the former as it could be a synonym of Carcharodon.

Description

The teeth of the C. hastalis is very simillar to the Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Tooth of C. hastalis is very large and thin, being quite narrow. Teeth of C. hastalis are similar in shape to those of C. xiphodon, but they are not the same species. It is estimated that C. hastalis was smaller than C. xiphodon.

Size

As with most extinct sharks, the size of Cosmopolitodus is still uncertain. Some paleontologists compare the teeth of this species to those of the extant C. carcharias, which would indicate a size range of around 5 to 7 meters (16.4 and 23 ft).

The largest species in the genus is therefore believed to be C. xiphodon, which now refers to the extinct shark known as Carcharodon plicatilis. A recent estimate shows that C. xiphodon reached a maximum size of 7 to 8 meters (23-26 ft) in length.

Diet

The C. hastalis was the apex predator of the Neogene, this species hunted small cetaceans, seals, giant fish, penguins and sea turtles.

References

  1. ↑ Zevallos-Valdivia, Leonardo; Martínez-Pérez, Carlos; García-Flores, Vilma; Chávez-Valencia, Antenor; Botella, Héctor (2023-06-20). "First record of palaeozoic vertebrates from Peru". Spanish Journal of Palaeontology. 38 (1): 95–100. doi:10.7203/sjp.25691. ISSN 2660-9568.
  2. ↑ Carcharodon hastalis Agassiz 1838 (white shark). Fossilworks.
  3. ↑ Zevallos-Valdivia, Leonardo; Martínez-Pérez, Carlos; García-Flores, Vilma; Chávez-Valencia, Antenor; Botella, Héctor (2023-06-20). "First record of palaeozoic vertebrates from Peru". Spanish Journal of Palaeontology. 38 (1): 95–100. doi:10.7203/sjp.25691. ISSN 2660-9568.
  4. ↑ Catalina Pimiento, Patrick Leopold Jambura (2019). On the origin of the great white shark Carcharodon carcharias.
  5. ↑ bibliotekanauki.pl https://bibliotekanauki.pl/articles/20139. Retrieved 2025-07-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ "Jaws -- 4 million BC: How an extinct shark attacked its prey". ScienceDaily. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
  7. ↑ repositorio.ingemmet.gob.pe https://repositorio.ingemmet.gob.pe/handle/20.500.12544/723. Retrieved 2025-07-30. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

Bibliography

Other websites

Media related to Cosmopolitodus at Wikimedia Commons