Abstract
ABSTRACT Some specimens of the Late Cretaceous lamniform shark, Cretoxyrhina mantelli (Agassiz), from the Niobrara Chalk in Kansas are represented by partial skeletons. The vertebral and neurocranial structures of C. mantelli suggest its placement in Lamniformes. The pectoral fins of C. mantelli may be plesodic, possibly indicating that the taxon is an “advanced” lamnoid. The total vertebral count of C. mantelli, approximately 230, is a unique number among lamniforms, supporting the view based on tooth-based taxonomy that this taxon is a distinct species. The total length of large C. mantelli is estimated to be 5 m. Very large C. mantelli possibly attained a total length of about 6 m or slightly more. Cretoxyrhina mantelli possessed a conical head with a blunt snout and large eyes. The body form of C. mantelli could have resembled that of extant Carcharodon carcharias.
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