Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Sphyrnidae (hammerhead shark)

Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Sphyrnidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1872Sphyrnidae Gill
1902Sphyrninae Hay p. 314
1963Sphyrnidae Jordan p. 600
1981Sphyrnidae Case p. 66
2001Sphyrnidae Purdy et al. p. 157
2005Sphyrnidae Compagno
2007Sphyrnidae Adnet et al. p. 314
2009Sphyrnidae Cicimurri and Knight p. 635
2016Sphyrnidae Nelson et al. p. 72
2018Sphyrnidae Kent p. 121
2020Sphyrnidae Villafaña et al. p. 739

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classChondrichthyes
RankNameAuthor
subclassElasmobranchiiBonaparte 1838
infraclassEuselachii()
—NeoselachiiCompagno 1977
superorderGaleomorphiiCompagno 1973
orderCarcharhiniformesCompagno 1973
familySphyrnidaeGill 1872
familySphyrnidaeGill 1872

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. Sphyrnidae Gill 1872 [hammerhead shark]
show all | hide all
G. †Cestrorhinus Blainville 1816
G. Eusphyra Giill 1862
G. †Platysqualus Swainson 1839
G. †Reniceps Gill 1861
G. †Sphyra Van der Hoeven 1849
G. †Sphyrichthys Thienemann 1828
G. Sphyrna Rafinesque 1810 [hammerhead shark]
hide
†Sphyrna americana Leriche 1942
†Sphyrna denticulata Agassiz 1843
†Sphyrna gibbesii Hay 1902
†Sphyrna gilmorei Leriche 1942
†Sphyrna guinoti Adnet et al. 2020
†Sphyrna itoriensis White 1926
†Sphyrna laevissima Cope 1867
†Sphyrna lata Agassiz 1843
†Sphyrna lewini Griffith and Smith 1834
†Sphyrna magna Cope 1868
†Sphyrna media Springer 1940
†Sphyrna subserrata Münster 1846
†Sphyrna tortilis White 1926
Sphyrna zygaena Linnaeus 1758
G. †Sphyrnias Rafinesque 1815
G. †Zygaena Cuvier 1816
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinesubp
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: nektonico
Diet: carnivoreo
Created: 2009-07-21 06:53:24
Modified: 2009-07-21 08:53:24
Source: o = order, subp = subphylum
References: Wagner 2023, Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Ypresian to the top of the Late/Upper Pleistocene or 56.00000 to 0.01170 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 55.8 Ma

Collections (125 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Paleocene58.7 - 55.8USA (Maryland) Sphyrna sp. (84046)
Ypresian - Lutetian56.0 - 41.3USA (Alabama) Negaprion gilmorei (81179)
Early/Lower Eocene55.8 - 48.6India Sphyrna sp. (210158)
Lutetian47.8 - 41.3Togo Sphyrna sp. (32991)
Lutetian47.8 - 41.3USA (Alabama) Negaprion gilmorei (81238 209521 209523)
Lutetian47.8 - 41.3Nigeria Sphyrna itoriensis, Sphyrna tortilis (187560)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0USA (Alabama) Negaprion gilmorei (81266 81278 176944)
Bartonian41.3 - 38.0Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid Township) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna guinoti (173640)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9USA (Alabama) Sphyrna gilmorei (28983)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9Barbados Sphyrna laevissima (205153)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9Egypt Sphyrna sp. (145984)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9Western Sahara Sphyrna sp. (96686 96688)
Priabonian38.0 - 33.9USA (South Carolina) Negaprion gilmorei (202013 202014)
Late/Upper Eocene37.2 - 33.9Barbados Sphyrna laevissima (220735)
Late/Upper Eocene37.2 - 33.9USA (Georgia) Negaprion gilmorei (160400) Sphyrna zygaena (73434)
Early/Lower Oligocene33.9 - 28.4Pakistan (Balochistan) Sphyrna sp. (78520)
Rupelian33.9 - 28.1USA (South Carolina) Sphyrnidae indet. (60444)
Oligocene - Miocene33.9 - 5.333Argentina (Chubut) Sphyrna sp. (133690)
Whitneyan33.3 - 30.8USA (Florida) Sphyrna sp. (17341)
Chattian28.1 - 23.03USA (South Carolina) Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (97550)
Chattian28.1 - 23.03USA (California) Sphyrna aus, Sphyrna bus (11601)
Aquitanian23.03 - 20.44Colombia (La Guajira) Sphyrna laevissima (182218)
Aquitanian23.03 - 20.44Oman Sphyrna laevissima (224898)
Aquitanian23.03 - 20.44USA (Maryland) Sphyrna sp. (71794)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Brazil (Para) Sphyrna magna (65162 112580 112590)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97India Sphyrna diplana (87485) Sphyrna zagaena (78641)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Brazil Sphyrna magna (112581)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97USA (North Carolina) Sphyrna zygaena (71660)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Cuba (Sancti Spiritus) Sphyrna mokarran (31183)
Early/Lower Miocene23.03 - 15.97Venezuela (Paraguana) Sphyrna sp. (118106)
Aquitanian - Langhian23.03 - 13.82USA (North Carolina) Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (48887)
Early/Lower Miocene - Middle Miocene23.03 - 11.608Australia (Victoria) Sphyrna sp. (51330)
Miocene23.03 - 5.333USA (South Carolina) Sphyrna americana (18506)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Malta (Gozo) Sphyrna arambourgi (161385)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97USA (New Jersey) Zygaena prisca (18587)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Peru Sphyrnidae indet., Sphyrna zygaena (167732)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Peru (Ica) Sphyrna zygaena (100330)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Colombia (La Guajira) Sphyrnidae sp. (166506)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Hungary Sphyrna zygaena (210623)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Saudi Arabia Sphyrna sp. (47026)
Burdigalian20.44 - 15.97Germany (Bavaria) Sphyrna sp. (210593)
Burdigalian - Langhian20.44 - 13.82USA (Maryland) Sphyrna laevissima (18518)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82France (Touraine) Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (161611)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Portugal (Penedo) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (161620)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82France (Loupian) Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (161623)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (59059)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82Mexico (Baja California) Sphyrna sp. (52183)
Langhian15.97 - 13.82France Sphyrna arambourgi (90354)
MN 515.97 - 13.65Austria Sphyrna sp. (51002)
MN 5 - MN 615.97 - 12.75Portugal Cestracion zygaena (65912)
Langhian - Serravallian15.97 - 11.62Brazil (Para) Sphyrna magna (58454)
Middle Miocene15.97 - 11.608India (Orissa) Sphyrna lewini (46366) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna lewini (46343)
Middle Miocene15.97 - 11.608Venezuela (Falcon) Sphyrna sp. (161210)
Middle Miocene15.97 - 11.608India Sphyrna diplana (72085)
Middle Miocene15.97 - 11.608Japan (Gifu) Sphyrna sp. (161445)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62USA (Virginia) Sphyrna sp. (57700)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62France (Gironde) Sphyrna arambourgi (161533) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (161524) Sphyrna zygaena (161525 161527)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.62USA (Maryland) Carcharias laevissimus, Carcharias magna, Sphyrna magna (57782) Sphyrna sp., Galeocerdo laevissimus, Sphyrna magna (55396)
Badenian13.65 - 12.7Czech Republic (Mikulov) Sphyrna sp. (161993)
Badenian13.65 - 12.7Belgium Sphyrna integra, Sphyrna laevissima (208831)
Badenian13.65 - 12.7Poland Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna laevissima (162017)
Badenian13.65 - 12.7Slovakia (Bratislava) Sphyrna zygaena (161996)
Early/Lower Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (Florida) Sphyrna sp. (162456)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (13300)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Panama Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (24237) Sphyrna mokarran (187583) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna sp. (96700)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Peru Sphyrna media (96800)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Belgium Sphyrna sp. (217346)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Panama (Colon) Sphyrna lewini (160781)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Venezuela Sphyrna mokarran (200110) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna zygaena (200111)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Argentina (Entre Rios) Sphyrna sp. (140010) Sphyrnidae indet. (128628)
Tortonian - Zanclean11.62 - 3.6Ecuador Sphyrna media (204352)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Panama (Panama) Sphyrna lewini (191988 191990 191993) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna zygaena (191987) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna zygaena (191995) Sphyrna zygaena (191996 191997 191998)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Portugal Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (56459)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Venezuela (Falcon) Sphyrna sp. (162677)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Venezuela Sphyrna sp. (92751)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Peru (Piura) Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna zygaena (162465)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Costa Rica (Limon) Sphyrna zygaena (162678)
Hemphillian10.3 - 4.9Costa Rica (Puntarenas) Sphyrna arambourgi (144596)
Messinian7.246 - 5.333Japan (Chiba) Sphyrna zygaena (202927)
Messinian7.246 - 5.333Algeria Cestracion zygaena (186631)
Messinian7.246 - 5.333Portugal Sphyrna sp. (91423)
MN 137.246 - 4.9Portugal (Alvalade) Sphyrna sp. (65955)
MN 137.246 - 4.9Portugal Sphyrna sp. (65954)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6Mexico (Baja) Sphyrna vespertina, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (154117)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6Japan (Chiba) Sphyrna zygaena (70006)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (55448)
Messinian - Piacenzian7.246 - 2.588Australia (South Australia) Sphyrna sp. (50343)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Libya Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (136597)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (184962)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6USA (North Carolina) Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (52582)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6South Africa Sphyrna zygaena (100313)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.588Angola Sphyrna zygaena (154111)
Piacenzian3.6 - 2.588Colombia (La Guajira) Sphyrnidae sp. (166508)
Piacenzian3.6 - 2.588USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (219849)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781Japan (Kanagawa) Sphyrna zygaena (161454)
Calabrian1.8 - 0.774Ecuador Sphyrna media (97639)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Georgia) Sphyrna tiburo (20604)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (California) Sphyrna zygaena (59063 160361)