Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon (Agassiz, 1835)

Szabó, Márton, 2019, Middle Miocene (Badenian) chondrichthyan and osteichthyan remains from St. Margarethen (eastern Austria) in the vertebrate palaeontological collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 36, pp. 53-90 : 67-69

Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon (Agassiz, 1835)

( Figs 73–78 )

Referred material –8teeth(V.60.1741,V.61.940,V.61.944,V.61.1278,V.61.1282).

Description – The teeth are large and massive. The crown is triangular, both crown faces are smooth. The labial crown face is flat, while the lingual is convex.

Both cutting edges bear strong, regular serrations. The root-crown junction bears a well-developed and high, V-shaped chevron (= “neck”) on the lingual crown face. The root is bilobate, the lobes are equal in size. The most complete specimen ( V.60.1741) is embedded in a piece of limestone in labial aspect ( Figs 73, 74 ). This tooth shows a pathological deformity: the distal and mesial cutting edge undulates at the crown base ( Figs 75–78 ).

Remarks – Here I follow the system of CAPPETTA (2012), however, his division of Otodus into subgenera Otodus , Carcharocles , and Megaselachus is not further supported by some authors (e.g. BOR et al. 2012). Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon is the largest macropredatory shark ever lived. It was previously reported from St. Margarethen by SCHMID et al. (2001). The species is widely known from the Badenian of the Central Paratethys ( SZABÓ & KOCSIS 2016, table 2). SCHULTZ (1971, pl. 3, fig 17a, b) figures a tooth of Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon with a pathological deformity similar to that of specimen V 60.1741.

Figures

Figs 73–78. Otodus (Megaselachus) megalodon (Agassiz, 1835), upper anterior tooth, V.60.1741. – Fig. 73. Labial view. – Fig. 74. Profile view. – Figs 75–78. Close-up of the mesial and distal crown bases, showing the pathological deformity. – Figs 75–76. Labial view. – Figs 77–78. Profile view. Scale bars: Figs 73–74: 10 cm; Figs 75–78: 10 mm