Xiphodolamia
| Xiphodolamia Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| Xiphodolamia ensis teeth from the London Clay | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | †Xiphodolamiidae Glükman 1964 |
| Genus: | †Xiphodolamia Leidy, 1877 |
| Species | |
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Xiphodolamia is a rare extinct genus of mackerel shark which lived during the Eocene epoch. It is the only known member of the extinct family Xiphodolamiidae. It is only known from isolated teeth, but has been found in Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is assumed to be pelagic, occurring more frequently in deeper water deposits, most notably the London Clay and Eocene deposits in Denmark. It is distinguished by its rectangular root and twisted blade, unique among mackerel sharks. It is unclear what niche this specialized dentition helped exploit.