scholarly journals Skeleton of the Fossil Shark Isurus denticulatus from the Turonian (Late Cretaceous) of Germany—Ecological Coevolution with Prey of Mackerel Sharks

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cajus G. Diedrich
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
White Shark ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Isurus Oxyrinchus ◽  
Mammal Evolution ◽  
Plesiomorphic Character

An Isurus denticulatus (Glickman, 1957) shark skeleton from the late Turonian (Late Cretaceous) of Germany is described within a diverse upwelling influenced fish fauna of northern Germany, Europe. It was found in the turbiditic marly limestones at the submarine Northwestphalian Lippe Swell in the southern Proto-North Sea Basin. Compared to modern mackerel shark Isurus oxyrinchus Rafinesque, 1809, including cranial denticles, this allows a revision of the younger synonym “Cretoxyrhina Glickman, 1964”. Within the Cretaceous Isurus, a loss of the lateral tooth cusps and nutritive clefts of the roots (considered as plesiomorphic character of the Lamnidae) took place from the Albian (Early Cretaceous) to the Campanian (Late Cretaceous). The tooth morphology changed during the Albian-Turonian from a tearing (I. denticulatus) to a cutting (I. mantelli) type (Coniacian-Campanian). The complete lateral cusplet and symphyseal teeth reduction in Isurus at the end of the Cretaceous seem to be a result of the coevolutionary changing feeding habits of a worldwide expanding shark. In a second evolutionary adaptation, parallel to the new radiation of marine mammals (Paleocene/early Eocene), from Isurus, the white shark ancestors (Carcharodon) seem to originate. In another radiation from Isurus, coevolving with appearance of dolphins and further marine mammal evolution within the Middle Miocene, a second time Isurus developed serrated teeth (I. escheri).

scholarly journals Eocene (Lutetian) Shark-Rich Coastal Paleoenvironments of the Southern North Sea Basin in Europe: Biodiversity of the Marine Fürstenau Formation Including Early White and Megatooth Sharks

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. G. Diedrich
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Fish Fauna ◽  
White Shark ◽  
Benthic Macrofauna ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Terrestrial Vertebrates ◽  
Shark Teeth

The Fürstenau Formation (Lutetian, Paleogene, Eocene) is based on type sections near Fürstenau in Germany (central Europe) and is built of 22 meter thick marine glauconitic and strongly bioturbated sands, clays, and a vertebrate-rich conglomerate bed. The conglomerate layer from the Early Lutetian transgression reworked Lower Cretaceous, and Paleogene marine sediments. It is dominated by pebbles from the locally mountains which must have been transported by an ancient river in a delta fan. Marine reworked Lower Cretaceous and Paleogen pebbles/fossils, were derived from the underlying deposits of northern Germany (= southern pre North Sea basin). The benthic macrofauna is cold upwelling water influenced and non-tropical, and medium divers. The vertebrate fish fauna is extremely rich in shark teeth, with about 5,000 teeth per cubic meter of gravel. The most dominant forms are teeth from sand shark ancestors Striatolamia macrota, followed by white shark ancestors Carcharodon auriculatus. Even teeth from the magatooth shark ancestor Carcharocles sokolovi are present in a moderately diverse and condensed Paleogene fish fauna that also includes rays, chimaeras, and more then 80 different bony fish. Fragmentary turtle remains are present, and few terrestrial vertebrates and even marine mammals with phocids, sirenians and possibly whales.

scholarly journals Structural setting and tectonic evolution of the Bahariya Depression, Western Desert, Egypt

GeoArabia ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adel R Moustafa ◽  
Ati Saoudi ◽  
Alaa Moubasher ◽  
Ibrahim M Ibrahim ◽  
Hesham Molokhia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Tectonic Evolution ◽  
Middle Miocene ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Western Desert ◽  
Normal Faults ◽  
Surface Mapping ◽  
Early Mesozoic ◽  
Hydrocarbon Fields ◽  
Stable Area

ABSTRACT An integrated surface mapping and subsurface study of the Bahariya Depression aided the regional subsurface interpretation. It indicated that four major ENE-oriented structural belts overlie deep-seated faults in this part of the ‘tectonically stable’ area of Egypt. The rocks of the Bahariya area were deformed in the Late Cretaceous, post-Middle Eocene, and Middle Miocene-and subsurface data indicated an early Mesozoic phase of normal faulting. The Late Cretaceous and post-Middle Eocene deformations reactivated the early normal faults by oblique slip and formed a large swell in the Bahariya region. The crest was continuously eroded whereas its peripheries were onlapped by Maastrichtian and Tertiary sediments. The tectonic evolution of the Bahariya region shows great similarity to the deformation of the ‘tectonically unstable’ area of the northern Western Desert where several hydrocarbon fields have been discovered. This similarity may indicate that the same phases of deformation could extend to other basins lying in the ‘tectonically stable’ area, such as the Asyut, Dakhla, Nuqura, and El Misaha basins.

scholarly journals The echinoid genus Echinogalerus in the Maastrichtian type area

2003 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-260
Author(s):  
R. Van der Ham ◽  
M. Van Birgelen
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Ordinal Position ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Type Area ◽  
Lower Maastrichtian ◽  
Western Germany

AbstractThe Late Cretaceous echinoid genus Echinogalerus König, 1825 is remarkably diverse in the Maastrichtian type area (SE Netherlands and adjacent parts of NE Belgium and western Germany). So far, five species have been recognised, namely E. belgicus (Lambert, 1898), E. minutus (Smiser, 1935), E. muelleri (Schlüter, 1902), E. pusillus Lambert, 1911 and E. vetschauensis (Schlüter, 1902), which occur from the base of the Lower Maastrichtian (E. belgicus, E. pusillus, E. muelleri) up to the K/T boundary (E. minutus). Echinogalerus muelleri, which has the longest stratigraphical range, is the most diverse, while E. pusillus is the smallest echinoid in the area, reaching maximum lengths of 4.5 mm. Comparisons with other species of Echinogalerus described in the literature have now led to the recognition of three tentative infrageneric alliances. It is argued that the ordinal position of Echinogalerus (Holectypoida or Cassiduloida) cannot be evaluated as long as many species are still insufficiently known and two genera, from the Maastrichtian of northern Germany and Denmark, intermediate between the two orders, remain undescribed.

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) crocodyliforms from north-eastern Iberia: a first attempt to explain the crocodyliform diversity based on tooth qualitative traits

2019 ◽  
Vol 189 (2) ◽  
pp. 584-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Blanco ◽  
Eduardo Puértolas-Pascual ◽  
Josep Marmi ◽  
Blanca Moncunill-Solé ◽  
Sergio Llácer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Taxonomic Significance ◽  
Environmental Preferences ◽  
Qualitative Traits ◽  
North Eastern

Abstract During recent years, knowledge about crocodyliform diversity of the uppermost Cretaceous from Europe has been substantially improved. Palaeontological efforts have also been focused on microvertebrate diversity and its palaeoecological implications. Isolated crocodylomorph teeth are, by far, one of the most frequently recovered elements in microvertebrate samples. In the present paper, morphological features of crocodylomorph teeth collected throughout the complete Maastrichtian series of the southern Pyrenean basin (north-eastern Spain), together with several mandibular remains, are described and analysed. Teeth were grouped in morphotypes and their taxonomic significance is discussed. The results highlight a diverse crocodylomorph assemblage in this area throughout the Maastrichtian. In addition, feeding habits and environmental preferences are inferred for the identified taxa according to dental features, occurrences and taphonomy.

scholarly journals Marine mammals through time: when less is more in studying palaeodiversity

2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1658) ◽  
pp. 887-892 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix G Marx
Keyword(s):  
Marine Mammal ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Sedimentary Rock ◽  
Rock Outcrop ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Apparent Correlation ◽  
Mammal Evolution ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Mammal Diversity ◽  
Marine Sedimentary Rock

The validity of biological explanations of patterns of palaeodiversity has been called into question owing to an apparent correlation of diversity with the amount of sedimentary rock preserved. However, this claim has largely been based on comprehensive estimates of global marine Phanerozoic diversity, thus raising the question of whether a similar bias applies to the records of smaller, well-defined taxonomic groups. Here, new data on European Caenozoic marine sedimentary rock outcrop area are presented and compared with European occurrences of three groups of marine mammals (cetaceans, pinnipedimorphs and sirenians). Limited evidence was found for a correlation of outcrop area with marine mammal palaeodiversity. In addition, similar patterns were identified in the cetacean and pinnipedimorph diversity data. This may point to the preservation of a genuine biological signal not overwhelmed by geological biases in the marine mammal diversity data, and opens the door to further analyses of both marine mammal evolution and geological bias in other small and well-defined groups of taxa.

Feeding habits of invasive American mink (Neovison vison) in northern Germany—potential implications for fishery and waterfowl

2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Zschille ◽  
Norman Stier ◽  
Mechthild Roth ◽  
René Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
American Mink ◽  
Neovison Vison ◽  
Northern Germany

Statistical modelling reveals spatial, temporal, and environmental preferences for white sharks at an oceanic aggregation site

2020 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 171-183
Author(s):  
EE Becerril-García ◽  
RO Martínez-Rincón ◽  
F Galván-Magaña ◽  
O Santana-Morales ◽  
EM Hoyos-Padilla
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Generalized Additive Models ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
White Shark ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Environmental Preferences ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Aggregation Site ◽  
Guadalupe Island

Guadalupe Island, Mexico, is one of the most important white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) aggregation sites in the Eastern Pacific. In the waters surrounding Guadalupe Island, cage diving has been carried out since 2001 during August-November; however, there is scarce information regarding the factors associated with this seasonal aggregation. The purpose of this study was to describe the probability of occurrence of white sharks relative to spatial, temporal, and environmental factors in Guadalupe Island. Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to describe the effect of sea surface temperature, water visibility, tide, moon phase, cloud cover, time of day, and location on white shark occurrence. GAMs were generated from a data set of 6266 sightings of white sharks, classified as immature males, mature males, immature females, and mature females. A sexual segregation related to month was observed, where females arrived after males during late September. GAMs evidenced a segregation of white sharks according to the analysed variables, which is consistent with previous observations in this locality. Environmental preferences for each white shark category are potentially influenced by feeding habits, sexual maturation, and reproduction. This study constitutes a baseline of the effect of the environment on the occurrence of white sharks in Guadalupe Island, which can be used in further studies regarding management and conservation in future climatic and anthropogenic scenarios. Its relevance is related to the understanding of its ecology in oceanic environments and the presence of this threatened species during the ecotourism season.

scholarly journals The belemnite zonation of the uppermost Cretaceous in the Maastricht-Aachen-Liège, Brabant-Méhaigne and Mons areas (Belgium, southeast Netherlands)

2011 ◽  
Vol 90 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 165-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Keutgen
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Northwest Germany

AbstractAn overview is presented of belemnitellid faunas of Santonian to Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) age in the Mons Basin and in the Brabant-Méhaigne and Maastricht-Aachen-Liège areas (Belgium, southeast Netherlands). As many as twenty-two species of the genera Actinocamax Miller, 1823, Gonioteuthis Bayle, 1878, Belemnitella d'Orbigny, 1840 and Belemnella Nowak, 1913 have been recorded to date. On the basis of these, thirteen zones can be distinguished: three in the Santonian (G. w. westfalica, G. westfalicagranulata and G. granulata), six in the Campanian (G. granulataquadrata, G. quadrata, Blt. mucronata, Blt. woodi, Blt. minor I and Blt. minor II) and four in the Maastrichtian (Bln. obtusa, Bln. ex gr. sumensis/cimbrica, Blt. junior and Bln. kazimiroviensis). Correlative schemes between these zones and those proposed for Norfolk (southeast England) and for the combined Lägerdorf-Kronsmoor-Hemmoor section (northern Germany) are presented. The belemnitellid assemblage of the study area closely resembles that of Norfolk, but differs from the late Campanian faunas of northwest Germany.

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