Ptychodus mortoni
| Ptychodus mortoni Temporal range: 99.6–61.7 Ma | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Order: | †Hybodontiformes |
| Family: | Ptychodontidae |
| Genus: | Ptychodus |
| Species: | P. mortoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Ptychodus mortoni | |
Ptychodus mortoni was a shark believed to be about 10 m long that probably crushed and ate large shelled animals such as giant clams. The bivalves that lived during this time included gigantic animals, possibly having extremely thick shells, such as the inoceramids (Volviceramus, Platyceramus, etc...). Given its large size, though, this species of Ptychodus might also have eaten ammonites and primitive turtles, like Desmatochelys. It is believed to have been a sluggish bottom-dwelling shark, rather than an actively fast swimmer. It lived about 89 million years ago (Turonian stage). Therefore, while only large numbers of its teeth, and jaw fragments are known, it might've resembled a massive nurse shark or a sand tiger shark. Fossils have been found in the Western Interior Seaway, Kansas, USA.[1]