Dracopristis hoffmanorum
- 演化之聲
- Mar 19
- 2 min read
Age
Carboniferous（Kasimovian ）
307-303.7 Ma
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Ctenacanthiformes
Family: Ctenacanthidae
Genus: Dracopristis
Species: Dracopristis hoffmanorum
Morphological description
Dracopristis hoffmanorum is a medium-sized ctenacanthiform shark, reaching approximately 2.06 meters in length. Its body is elongated and dorsoventrally flattened, with a broad skull, anteriorly positioned orbits, and a short snout. It possesses five gill arches, decreasing in size from anterior to posterior.
The teeth are cladodont in form, each bearing five cusps. The central cusp is the tallest, while the lateral cusps are about half its height.
The dorsal fin spines are notably large. The first spine measures about 57 cm in length and 5.3 cm in width, accounting for roughly 27% of the total body length, and curves posteriorly toward its distal end. The second spine is about 40 cm long and 4 cm wide, and is more upright compared to the first.
Etymology
Dracopristis: derived from the Latin draco ('dragon') and pristis ('shark'), referring to its dragon-like appearance
hoffmanorum: named in honor of Ralph and Jeanette Hoffman, owners of the quarry where the specimen was discovered, who contributed to the research
Biological description
The holotype of Dracopristis hoffmanorum was discovered in 2013 in New Mexico, USA. The discovery occurred when a scientist attending a meeting at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science casually scraped the ground with a knife while resting outdoors, inadvertently uncovering the fossil. The specimen was subsequently transported to the museum's laboratory, where further study identified it as the most complete ctenacanthiform shark fossil known from North America.
Dracopristis hoffmanorum is interpreted as a benthic ambush predator inhabiting shallow coastal waters. It likely fed on smaller fish and crustaceans. The large dorsal fin spines probably functioned as defensive structures against larger predators.
The depositional environment of the fossil-bearing strata indicates lagoonal and estuarine conditions, with exceptionally high fish diversity. At least 31 species have been identified from the same deposits.
（Author: Bai Leng）
References
1. Long, J. A. (2024). The secret history of sharks: the rise of the ocean's most fearsome predators. New York: Ballantine Books.
2. Spry, Jeff (2021). This new species of 300-million-year-old "Godzilla shark" was king of the lagoon. syfy.com.
3. Hodnett, J-.P. M, Grogan, E. D., Lund, R., Lucas, S. G., Suazo, T., Elliott, D. K., Pruitt, J. (2021). Ctenacanthiform sharks from the late Pennsylvanian (Missourian) Tinajas Member of the Atrasado Formation, Central New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin.
4. Hodnett, John-Paul M., Lucas, Spencer G. (2015). Paleozoic Fishes of New Mexico: A review. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.
5. M. Hodnett, John-Paul; Lucas, S. G. (2021). Review Of The Late Pennsylvanian Fish Assemblage From The Kinney Brick Quarry, New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin.
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