Memoirs MCZ 2604

HUmoirs flf iljc Htuscum oi Conijjaratibc ^oologi) AT HARVARD COLLEGE XXVI Vol No REPORTS ON THE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION TO THE TROPICAL PACIFIC, IN CHARGE OF ALEXANDER AGASSIZ, IN THE U S FISH COMMISSION STEAMER " ALBATROSS," FROM AUGUST, 1899, TO MARCH, 1900, COMMANDER JEFFERSON F MOSER, U S N., COMMANDING V SHARKS' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES FROM THE RED CLAY OF THE TROPICAL By C R WITH [Published by permission of EASTMAN TIIIIKIC PLATES George M Boweiss, U S Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries.] CAMBRIDGE, U.S.A.: Printed for PACIFIC tijc iHuscum June, 1903 JIN 1903 Reports on the Scientific Results of the Expedition to the Tropical Pacific in charge: of Alexander Agassiz by the U S Fish Commission Steamer " Albatross," from August, 1899, to March, 1900, Commander Jefferson F Moser, U S N., commanding SHARKS' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES FROM THE RED CLAY OF THE TROPICAL PACIFIC By C R EASTMAN (Published by permission of Geo M Bowers, U S Commissioner of Fish ami Fisheries.) When, more so-called " than sixty years ago, Edward Forbes sought to explain the Northern outliers " (or assemblages of marine animals inhabiting sea-bottom in the vicinity of the British certain depressed areas of the Islands, as and from those found over adjacent and shallower regions) differing remnants of a preglacial Arctic fauna, an ingenious suggestion was put forward, which subsequently received a wide application, and has indeed been carried to unwarranted extremes in some cases For instance, while there can be no question that Sir Charles Lyell was declaring that " to wrong in formed in the Atlantic is as inadmissible sense," and that Professor L Agassiz's conclusion talk of chalk having been uninterruptedly from a geographical as a geological that " the present continental areas within the as the oceans, is abundantly confirmed 200-fathoin line, as well have preserved their outlines and positions from the earliest times," nevertheless the generalizations once so popular, that " we are still living in the Cretaceous epoch," or that "Cretaceous outliers" are repre- sented by the archaic types only in a very much still existing at great depths, are now accepted modified sense Amongst the forms brought to light by dredging at great depths in mid- ocean which have interesting pakeontological relations are semi-fossil sharks' Bull Mus Comp Zoul., Vol I (1S60), pp 368, 369 EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATROSS," 180 1899-1900 teeth belonging to species characteristic of the middle or late Tertiaries in Europe and America, hence implying that these bodies have been lying on the sea-floor at least ever since the Pliocene, becoming buried with inconceivable slowness by the gradually accumulating sediment Large numbers of these teeth, together with hundreds of Cetacean bones, were obtained by the " Challenger" Expedition in 1875, to them more or less impregnated sometimes entirely replaced by the oxides of iron with, and their substance and manganese of all These accumulations of vertebrate remains are not limited any one ocean, but are most abundant at extreme depths in the red clay areas of the central Pacific and other oceanic deposits, being only excep- The "Challenger" tionally found in calcareous oozes or telluric deposits were described collections in great detail Report on Deep-Sea Deposits, attempt to deal systematically by Murray and Renard published in 1891, which Turner No in further investigated and still was the first with deep-sea deposits and the geology of the The Mammalian bones sea-bed throughout the whole extent of the ocean were in their described by Professor Sir William was obtained additional material of this nature 1880 dredged off the eastern coast of until Mr A Agassiz North America a few Cetacean bones and one or two sharks' teeth from the existing sea-bed at a depth of only 333 fathoms The teeth belonged to the genus from those dredged by the " Challenger" remained The period is essentially excessively slow rate in that the root differed and vasodentine implying a comparatively recent of deposition of sediment in the central Pacific since the Glacial indicated by the unique assortment of continental rock fragments, coated with a thin layer of manganese, dition unaltered, hence Lamna, and Cf which was dredged by Mi A Agassiz in 1899 at Station of the "Albatross" Expe1 Mem Mus Murray, J-, Corop Zobl., Vol and Renard, A (1891), pp 267-276 written wholly by Sir Chapter IV of XXVI (1902), pp 71, 110 Report on Deep-Sea Deposits F., this John Murray certainty by the sharks' teeth, namely, ; Scient Results " Chall." Exp volume, dealing with the materials of organic origin, was Not more than four genera appear to be represented with Lamna, Oxyrhina, Carcharodon, and either Galeus or Car- charias; and owing to their imperfect condition, accurate specific determinations are in most cases Nevertheless, impossible associated Murray regards these same organic remains, together with the Mr manganese nodules, volcanic result of the dredgings lapilli, and zeolitic minerals, as " between Tahiti and Valparaiso." by far the most interesting (/.or fit 1891, p 181.) Turner, W., Report on Bones of theCetacea; Zool " Chall." Exp., Vol Agassiz, A., Murray, J., " Three Cruises of the " Blake Blake " Deposits ; Ibid., Vol " : Bull I (1880), pt iw.pp 1-45 Mus Comp Zool., Vol XIV (1888), XII (1885), p 42 p 276 SHARKS' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES burial It 181 should be stated that in the great majority of the teeth, all that remains '•' Cballenger " the hard dentine or enamel, the root and whole is of the vasodentine having been dissolved away During the years 1887-1889 extensive deep-sea dredging operations were carried on in the Indian which were discussed by Dr Murray scientific results of published cations more Ocean by English and French hydrographers, the in the Scottish Geographical Magazine striking features of these investigations Pelham Aldrich bones of whales, in H M all S " more or of these less middle Tertiaries, and, so calls in similar areas and Oxyvhina far as is kastp's, are known, are not now the "Albatross" basis of the present report of the attention to the fact that two The most recent and only other source from which which forms the the encrusted with peroxide of manganese, as The author again remains has been derived Among Egeria" of semi-fossil teeth of sharks and ear- species, Carcharodon mcgalodon teristic of the was the discovery by Captain had already been observed by the "Challenger" Atlantic and Pacific two communi- in charac- existing this class of organic Expedition of 1899-1900, During this cruise vertebrate material was dredged from five stations in the Pacific, whose positions, depths, and bottom characters are given in the following table: List of "Albatuoss" Stations yielding Sharks' Teeth and Cetacean Bones Station Number EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATROSS," 182 1899-190(1 Comparison of Vertebrate Kemains Dredged by the " Albatross " and "Challenger" Expeditions As the line run by the "Albatross" from San Francisco to Tahiti con- verges toward that run by the " Challenger " from the Hawaiian Islands to where the two Tahiti, cross, it is interesting to compare the On sea dredging accomplished on these voyages results of deep- the run from San Francisco to Tahiti the " Albatross " brought np sharks' teeth, ward to the Fiji Islands, made eleven deep-sea dredgings, four of which as shown in the above table On the course west- and thence northwesterly to Japan, three such deep- sea hauls were made, one of which (at Station 183, between Cook Islands and Tonga) yielded vertebrate remains Following the track of the "Challenger" from Yokohama, Japan, due east to the meridian passing through the to Tahiti, we Hawaiian Islands, and thence south find that eight stations are distributed yielded the same class of organic remains ; along this route which but on the run from Tahiti to Valparaiso material of like nature was dredged at, but one locality to the eastward of the Paumotu group, namely, at Station 293 The comparative paucity of vertebrate remains on the ocean-floor for a distance of 4,000 miles between parallels 30° distribution and 40° of south latitude, as contrasted with their and abundance elsewhere the in accounted for by the fact that this belt current, and that it lies Pacific, probably is wide to be outside the south equatorial has not been frequented by large sharks and Cetaceans since Tertiary times, or even longer charodons of enormous size California to Patagonia, as During the Tertiary, however, Car- ranged along the western coast of America from is shown by their fossil remains Numerous Cetacean bones were dredged by the "Challenger" from the red clay in the vicinity of Tahiti (Stations 276-285), and Sir John Murray the "Albatross" Station 173, which known none were as rather surprising that lies it is regarded by in the material within the same area from However, it Mammalian remains brought up in the " great majority of the Challenger's " deep-sea dredgings was very small, is well and that the percentage of that, as Dr Murray has himself stated, "in all the terrigenous deposits Mem Mas Comp Zool, Vol XXVI (1902), p 110 Report on the Deep-Sea Deposits; Sclent Results " Chall." Exp (1891), p 270 : SHARKS' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES and calcareous oozes they were not observed." 183 Furthermore, Mammalian remains brought up from the sea-floor are for the most part limited to bones of extremely dense structure, such as the ear-bones and- fragments of the beaks of Ziphioid whales, the preservation of which by the great density at Station 173 be " accounted for and the consequent the action of the sea-water to compared with the cancellated bones." To our mind, to of these portions of the skeleton, amount of surface presented small is the failure of the " Albatross " to bring up Cetacean remains is devoid of special significance, and does not affect the question of general distribution More likely at this point, in close proximity to the is the absence of such remains Paumotus, to be explained as the result of local conditions affecting the solvent power of the sea-water The discovery of Cetacean bones by the " Albatross " latitude 28° 23' N., is when l interesting, since and at Station in also at Station 13 in north latitude of about 10°, no remains of this nature had been previously found With the excep- north of the equator, in either the Atlantic or the Pacific tion of two fragments, all the bones of Cetaceans procured by the " Chal- lenger" Expedition were dredged from red clays and Radiolarian oozes, and " these were all situated in the central South Pacific, excepting Station 160, 2,600 fathoms, in the southern Indian Ocean, 500 miles southwest of Australia." The general facts of distribution of " Challenger " Expedition are thus stated by Dr Murray of the sharks' teeth in the deposits although ceans, abundant The " distribution similar to that of the bones of Ceta- they were dredged in the red clay areas far of the central is by the sharks' teeth as observed more frequently removed from South Pacific; they were less land, They are and especially most in those frequently taken in the organic oozes of the deep sea, and only in one or two instances in the terrigenous deposits surrounding continental or other land many seems undoubted that of the teeth of sharks and the bones of the Ziphioid whales belong to Tertiary To It and extinct species." facilitate comparison, and to show at a glance the distribution, the following table has been prepared, which shows the position, depth, and l -'Loc at., p 276 Loc cit., p 270 EXPEDITION OE THE "ALBATROSS," 184 bottom characters of sharks' teeth the "Challenger" stations in the Pacific where At various other and Cetacean bones were obtained not included in this and all list, on the run from Hawaii otoliths of indeterminable fishes of their dense structure to Peru, a were brought up any fish Otoliths, Only stations few small teeth and different chemical composition, are destructible than other bones of the fish skeleton instances were 1899-1900 on account less readily in three or four bones, other than otoliths and teeth, observed in the deposits brought to light all by the " Challenger." List of " Challenger " Stations in the Pacific yielding Sharks' Teeth and Cetacean Bones Station No SHAKES' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES 185 the exception of Oxyrhina crassa and CarcJiarodon megalodon, therefore, the specific determinations must be regarded as interesting to note that the last two species Oxyrhina more or less provisional became extinct It is in the Pliocene Agassiz Oxyrhina crassa Agassiz Plate Over one hundred specimens tion 2, with 1, Figs 11-20 of Oxyrhina teeth were obtained at Sta- and about half that number from Station which may be referred Anterior and lateral teeth are repre- hesitancy to this species little 13, sented in about equal proportions, the former signalizing themselves by their high and narrow crowns, not unlike those of the existing spallansam, and the postero-lateral teeth only differing from those of considerable thickness The outer coronal face convex, and the enamel smooth on both faces triangular and erect ; in those referable to the is hastalis in their the inner strongly flat, The lower lateral teeth are upper jaw the apex is some- times lightly reflexed, and the crown often curved backward All the teeth from Station exhibit but a slight coating The sized anterior are shown much and lateral teeth in Figs manganese of which have been obtained of 13 and 19 respectively One nearly largest- this species perfect crown, perforated by sponge borings, Was obtained at Station 17, and a fragmentary one at Station 183, both belonging to This species has not been recognized as such " Challenger " Reports, but unnamed Oxyrhina with those here described are illustrated Of these only the ones shown numerous specimens " Albatross " in Figs of hastalis this species by the authors of the teeth evidently identical in PI VI., figs 8-11, 14-16 are anterior 13-17, and 22 teeth Although " Challenger," the were dredged by the Expedition was not fortunate enough to obtain any Oxyrhina crassa ranges from the Eocene to the Pliocene in Europe, and is of rare occurrence in the Phosphate Beds of South Carolina deposits, however, contain such an agglomeration of early fossils that this species the age of the formation is indeterminate and perfect examples are shown in the accompanying latter late Tertiary No good having been published heretofore from American The figures of localities, text-figures, with two which EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATROSS," 186 the deep-sea crowns may be profitably compared 1899-1900 The originals are from the Phosphate Beds of Coosaw, South Carolina, and are preserved in the Museum of Comparative Zoology l Figs 1-3 — Oxyrldna crassa Agassiz Phosphate Beds, Coosaw, S C Two lateral teeth referable to the upper jaw, one seen from the inner face and in profile (1, 2), the other showing the outer face (3) x \- Lamna Lamna Plate 1, Cuvier sp ind Figs 0, 10 Twenty-two slender and sharply pointed teeth were obtained at Station and one imperfect crown able species of at Station 13, Lamna which belong to a small, indetermin- These teeth have the outer face faintly and the inner very strongly convex, with smooth enamel on both sides the specimens exceed 1.5 cm in height figs 12, 19, 2, None of Similar teeth are figured in PI VI., and 21 of the "Challenger" Reports, and are stated to occur plentifully in the Pacific Carcharodon Miller and Henle Carcharodon megalodon Agassiz Plate 1, Figs 21-23 Fifteen comparatively small-sized teeth belonging to this species were brought up by the dredge at Station 2, and fragments of eight larger ones SHARKS' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES fit 187 Station 13, these latter being quite heavily encrusted, and their sub- The most heavily encrusted stance impregnated with manganese teeth from however, are six large which the deposit manganese exceeds of tooth anywhere obtained is 173 Station from Station cm 13, its in (PI 2, figs thickness of all, 31-33), on The largest crown being preserved for a height of cm This species enjoys the same range but more cosmopolitan is coast it is known to teeth either of the same or a formation of Chubut A at least as far north as California, lateral tooth was found in Museum tooth in the from Coquimbo, of Comparative Zoology total height of 13.5 cm., described as C gigas Chili, and a large by Philippi, a deposit which has yielded teeth indistinguishable from those of the existing C rondcletti? Agassiz's and closely allied species occur in the Patagonian from the Tertiary of Aria, Peru, has a upper In the Tertiaries of the Pacific in distribution have extended in the fossil state as Oxi/rhina crassa, species The type-specimens of Carcharodon are now of several of Professor preserved in the Museum of Comparative Zoology CARCHARIIREI Carcharias Cuvikr Plate The large family of 1, Figs 1-6 Requiem Sharks comprises twenty or more recent genera and about sixty recent species, the latter being often closely related and difficult of determination In many cases the detached teeth of Galeo- cerdo can only be doubtfully separated from those of certain species of The Carcharias fossil forms having the teeth in both jaws less serrated are usually placed in the all more or subgenus Prionodon (Prionace); those having the upper teeth serrated at the base only, and the lower teeth erect and subgenus Hypoprion Woodward, A Observations on Senor Ameghino's Notes on the Geology and Palaeontology of Argentina, Geol The entire, in the Zeitschr f [4], Vol IV (1S97), p 22 gesammt Naturw., Vol LI (1878), Woodward, A Mag Nat S., Mag S., On Some serrated condition of the cor- p 0S5, PI XIX Fish-remains from the Parana Formation, Argentine Republic, Ann Hist., ser 7, Vol VI (1900), p EXPEDITION OF THE "ALBATROSS," 188 onal margin shown 1899-1900 accompanying text- figure 4, which represents the outer face of the same is well specimen as shown in the in PI 1, fig It evidently is with the group represented by Prionodon that five small serrated teeth from Station and three some- what similar ones from Station 13 belong, but a closer The identification than this appears impossible row erect teeth shown in PI 1, figs and nar- are 5, evidently anterior and lower in position, and those shown Pig — Carcharias sp ind Station of in same PL i, Outer face specimen shown postero-lateral l teeth belontrinyr ° fig in Fio;s x and * 6, The by the same token in Figs 2, 3, 4, and are to ° originals of Figs 1-4 are all from Station possibly represent a distinct species which are from Station upper 1 the iaw J 2, and from those shown All these teeth asrree in their 13 considerable thickness with certain Miocene species rather than with most existing forms Hemipristis Agassiz Plate 1, Figs 7, This genus comprises several Tertiary and one latter being an inhabitant of the Red Sea The still living species, the teeth are readily distin- guishable from those of Galeus, Galeocerdo, Carcharias, ami the like by the peculiar denticulation coronal margins In PI 1, figs two teeth belonging to an — Hemipristis Station of sp ind 1, fig dition, An shown species of enlarged view showing the serrations of the coronal margin X \- in the teetli and are figured 10 and 11 teeth are their is given Inner face same specimen shown in PI 8, unidentified Hemipristis, both from Station Fig and of Figs in and accompanying text-figure were also obtained by the Two volume on Deep-Sea Deposits, of the same Hemipristis the " Challenger" plate are Expe- PI V., figs probably of Carcharias SHARKS' TEETH AND CETACEAN BONES 189 TELEOSTEI The solitary evidence of by the "Albatross" from Station is bony fishes from the deep-sea deposits obtained afforded by a small scapula brought up by the dredge The paucity and of fish-remains, other than teeth otoliths, has already been commented on as a striking fact, the explanation of which is probably to be sought in their different chemical composition and lesser density CETACEA Relatively few Cetacean remains are contained in the collection, fifteen specimens having been dredged at Station and seven at Station 13 With the exception of several unrecognizable fragments, these consist of the tympanic and petrous bones of dolphins (Globicephalus or allied forms) and Ziphioid whales The tympani and periotics usually occur detached condition, but in one or two cases they remain fused the in None of these bones attain the size of the corresponding elements in Globicephalus mclas of existing seas, and no large tympani of baleen whales, such as were obtained by the " Challenger" Expedition, are represented in the collection Owing to lack of material for comparison, than approximate determinations bones are shown of the natural and PI 2, fig 30, is is impossible to make more Several of the better preserved ear- size in PI 2, figs shown a peculiar bone with three projecting prongs, which incus it may 25-29 In PI 1, fig 24, of small size and dense structure, perhaps be regarded as a Cetacean EXPLANATION OF PLATES PLATE (All figures are of the natural size.) Figs 1-4 sp hid., Station All of these specimens are seen from the inner or convex face the original of Fig is an anterior lower tooth, and the remainder are postero-lateral teeth referable to the upper Carcharias (Prionodon) ; dentition " 5, Carcharias (Prionodon) sp hid., Station 13 " 7, Hemipristis sp " 9, 10 Lamna Inner face of an anterior and an antero-lateral tooth of a small species possibly distinct from that illustrated in Figs 1-4 inch, Inner face of two much decomposed crowns Station Two sp ind., Station anterior teeth of a small species seen in Figs 12, 13 " 14-18 and from the inner or posterior aspect Oxyrhina crassa Ag., Station Inner face of a small anterior tooth Oxyrhina crassa Ag., Station Inner face of two large anterior teeth Oxyrhina crassa Ag., Station Average-sized examples of the postero- Fig Oxyrhina crassa Ag., Station profile Fig 11 lateral dentition 19 13 Inner face of a large specimen belonging to the lateral series " 20 Oxyrhina crassa Ag., Station A rather heavily encrusted lateral tooth corresponding in size to the anterior teeth shown in Figs 12 and 13 Figs 21-23 Fig 24 Carcharodon megalodon Ag., Station Rather lightly encrusted lateral teeth Supposed Cetacean incus from Station also shown in PI 2, fig 30 ; PLATE (All figures are of the natural size.) 25 Eight petrous bone of Globicephalus " 26 Left tympanic and petrous bones " 27 " 28 Left tympauo-pteriotic of Globicephalus (?) Station Station Left petrous bone of a Ziphioid whale Fig Station (?) still retained in natural association and apparently referable to Globicephalus Station 13 " 29 Left tympano-§jteriotic of a Ziphioid whale " 30 " 31 Supposed Cetacean incus, also shown in PI Carcharodon megalodon, Ag., Station 173 " 32 Carcharodon, megalodon, Ag., Station 173 Station 13 1, fig A 24 Station comparatively large-sized and very heavily encrusted specimen A lateral tooth having a moder- manganese on the outer face, and a very thick deposit on the inner, which presumably lay uppermost ately thin coating of " 33 Carcharodon megalodon Ag., Station 173 in reverse positiou to that shown PLATE Track of the " Albatross " in the A lateral tooth evidently buried preceding figure from San Francisco to Yokohama, 191 rRoss'thopiGAL Pacific BcSharksTEeth Plate Ull^ g u 10 ' J! U n » Jf i 15 "Ai.batro ss" Tropical Pacific Ex Shar KS'TEETH Plate- "Albatross "Tropical Pacific Expedition 1899-00 Sharks teeth Plate