Carcharhiniformes


Carcharhiniformes, commonly called ground sharks, are the largest order of sharks, with over 270 species. They include a number of common types, such as cat sharks, swellsharks, and hound sharks.
Members of this order are characterized by the presence of a nictitating membrane over the eye, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and five gill slits.
The families in the order Carcharhiniformes are expected to be revised; recent DNA studies show that some of the conventional groups are not monophyletic.
The oldest members of the order appeared during the Middle-Late Jurassic, which have teeth and body forms that are morphologically similar to living catsharks. Carchariniformes first underwent major diversification during the Late Cretaceous, initially as mostly small-sized forms, before radiating into medium and large body sizes during the Cenozoic.

Families

classifies the Carcharhiniformes into two suborders and twelve families:
O'Neill & Naylor, 2024
The following fossil genera of Carcharhiniformes are also known:
  • Genus †Altusmirus Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2017
  • Genus †Corysodon Saint-Seine, 1949
  • Genus †Platyrhizodon Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
  • Genus †Vectiscyllium Duffin & Batchelor, 2024
  • Family Carcharhinidae
  • * Genus †Abdounia Cappetta, 1980
  • * Genus †Archaeogaleus Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014
  • * Genus †Danogaleus Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
  • * Genus †Eogaleus Cappetta, 1975
  • * Genus †Eorhincodon Li, 1997
  • * Genus †Fornicatus Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2018
  • * Genus †Kruckowlamna Laurito Mora, 1999
  • * Genus †Misrichthys Case & Cappetta, 1990
  • * Genus †Pseudabdounia Ebersole, Cicimurri & Stringer, 2019
  • Family †Florenceodontidae Cappetta, Morrison & Adnet, 2019
  • * Genus †Florenceodon Cappetta, Morrison & Adnet, 2019
  • Family †Leptocarchariidae Adnet et al., 2020
  • * Genus †Leptocarcharias Adnet et al., 2020
  • Family Hemigaleidae
  • * Genus †Moerigaleus Underwood & Ward, 2011
  • Family Galeocerdonidae
  • * Genus †Physogaleus Cappetta, 1980
  • Family †Pseudoscyliorhinidae Stumpf, Scheer & Kriwet, 2019
  • * Genus †Diprosopovenator Stumpf, Scheer & Kriwet, 2019
  • * Genus †Pseudoscyliorhinus Müller & Diedrich, 1991
  • Family Pentanchidae
  • * Genus †Pseudoapristurus Pollerspöck & Straube, 2017
  • Family Proscyllidae
  • * Genus †Praeproscyllium Underwood & Ward, 2004
  • Family Scyliorhinidae
  • * Genus †Bavariscyllium Thies, 2005
  • * Genus †Cadiera Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014
  • * Genus †Casieria Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
  • * Genus †Crassescyliorhinus Underwood & Ward, 2008
  • * Genus †Cretascyliorhinus Underwood & Mitchell, 1999
  • * Genus †Foumtizia Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
  • * Genus †Megascyliorhinus Cappetta & Ward, 1977
  • * Genus †Microscyliorhinus Case, 1994
  • * Genus †Orthodon Coquand, 1860
  • * Genus †Pachyscyllium Reinecke, Moths, Grant & Breitkreuz, 2005
  • * Genus †Palaeoscyllium Wagner, 1857
  • * Genus †Platyrhizoscyllium Adnet, 2006
  • * Genus †Porodermoides Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
  • * Genus †Premontreia Cappetta, 1992
  • * Genus †Prohaploblepharus Underwood & Ward, 2008
  • * Genus †Protoscyliorhinus Herman, 1977
  • * Genus †Pteroscyllium Cappetta, 1980
  • * Genus †Scyliorhinotheca Kiel, Peckmann & Simon, 2013
  • * Genus †Sigmoscyllium Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
  • * Genus †Stenoscyllium Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
  • * Genus †Thiesus Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014
  • * Genus †Tingaleus Cappetta, 1993
  • Family Triakidae
  • * Genus †Archaeotriakis Case, 1978
  • * Genus †Gomphogaleus Adnet & Cappetta, 2008
  • * Genus †Kallodentis Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017
  • * Genus †Khouribgaleus Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997
  • * Genus †Meridiogaleus Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017
  • * Genus †Pachygaleus Cappetta, 1992
  • * Genus †Palaeogaleus Gurr, 1962
  • * Genus †Palaeotriakis Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013
  • * Genus †Rhaibodus Böhm, 1926
  • * Genus †Squatigaleus Cappetta, 1989
  • * Genus †Xystrogaleus Adnet, 2006