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A middle Eocene basking shark (Lamniformes, Cetorhinidae) from Antarctica.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 May 2004

Alberto L. Cione  and
M. A. Reguero
Alberto L. Cione
Affiliation:
Departamento Científico Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 - La Plata, Argentina
M. A. Reguero
Affiliation:
Departamento Científico Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 - La Plata, Argentina
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Abstract

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A proximal fragment of a gill raker identified as belonging to a shark of the genus Cetorhinus was collected from middle Eocene deposits of the La Meseta Formation in the northern part of Seymour Island, Antarctica. This is the first record of a fossil basking shark from Antarctica and one of the earliest records of the genus. The minimum age of Cetorhinidae is middle Eocene. The only living species of the family Cetorhinidae is a very large plankton feeder, Cetorhinus maximus. Basking sharks are unknown in subantarctic or Antarctic waters but occur on both South American coasts today. The evolution of filter-feeding vertebrates is discussed.

Keywords

AntarcticaCetorhinusElasmobranchiiEoceneLamniformes
Type
Papers—Earth Sciences and Glaciology
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , March 1998 , pp. 83 - 88
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1998