Southern higher-latitude lamniform sharks track mid-Cretaceous environmental change

• The mid-Cretaceous (Albian and Cenomanian, 113–93.9 Myr) marked a transformative interval of shark evolution during which lamniforms (mackerel sharks) diversified as dominant marine predators. Yet, their radiation dynamics relative to major biotic turnovers delimiting the Albian–Cenomanian and Cenomanian–Turonian boundaries are incompletely understood. Here, we use the high-resolution dental fossil record of lamniforms to track changing morphological disparity and tooth size through a succession of mid-Cretaceous shark assemblages from higher-palaeolatitude (up to ∼ 58°S) settings in Australia. Our geometric morphometric analyses and evolutionary model fitting reveal stable disparity throughout the late Albian–late Cenomanian. By contrast, lamniform disparity increased in the early Turonian, which might reflect local habitat differences and/or intraspecific variability through heterodonty. Nevertheless, clade-specific partial disparity increases are evident among small-bodied carchariids, and couple with a trend towards larger teeth as a proxy for body-size in coeval anacoracids. We correlate these signals with recovery after the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2, which severely disrupted latest Cenomanian marine ecosystems and apparently instigated disjunct responses in shark communities occupying epeiric versus outer neritic environments.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Evolutionsbiologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences -- Evolutionary Biology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Lamniformes

Albian–Cenomanian

Cenomanian–Turonian

Australia

Geometric morphometrics

Oceanic Anoxic Event 2

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