Megachasma alisonae
| Megachasma alisonae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | Megachasmidae |
| Genus: | Megachasma |
| Species: | †M. alisonae |
| Binomial name | |
| †Megachasma alisonae Shimada & Ward, 2016 | |
Megachasma alisonae is an extinct species of megamouth shark that lived during the Eocene (Priabonian, ca. 36 mya). It is the oldest fossil record of a megamouth shark. The type fossil was recovered from the Søvind Marl Formation in Denmark and consists of a single tooth. Based on comparison with the teeth of the recent megamouth species (Megachasma pelagios), the length of the animal has been estimated at 1.3–3.5 m (4.3–11.5 ft).