Title
Sperm whales (Physeteroidea) from the Pisco Formation, Peru, and their trophic role as fat sources for late Miocene sharks
Date Issued
29 June 2022
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Benites-Palomino A.
Velez-Juarbe J.
Collareta A.
Carrillo-Briceño J.D.
Publisher(s)
Royal Society Publishing
Abstract
Shark-cetacean trophic interactions, preserved as bite marks in the fossil record, mostly correspond to isolated or fragmentary findings that bear limited information about major trophic patterns or roles. Here, we provide evidence of focalized foraging by sharks in the form of tooth bite marks over physeteroids fossil bones from the late Miocene of Peru. These findings indicate that sharks were targeting the forehead of coeval physeteroids to actively feed on their lipid-rich nasal complexes. Miocene physeteroids displayed a broad diversity, including giant predatorial forms, small benthic foragers and suction feeders. Like their extant relatives, these animals exhibited enlarged fatty forehead organs responsible for their sound production capabilities, thus evolving taxon-specific cranial architecture. Bite marks are found on the cranial bones where these structures were attached, indicating that sharks actively targeted this region; but also, in areas that would only be accessible following the consumption of the surrounding soft tissues. The shape of the bite marks and their distribution suggests a series of consecutive scavenging events by individuals of different shark species. Similar bite patterns can be recognized on other Miocene physeteroids fossils from across the globe, suggesting that sharks actively exploited physeteroid carcasses as fat sources.
Volume
289
Issue
1977
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Biología marina, Biología de agua dulce, Limnología
Crías y mascotas
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85133106572
PubMed ID
Source
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
ISSN of the container
09628452
Sponsor(s)
This research was supported by funds to A.B-P by the George and Antoine Claraz donation. Acknowledgements
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus