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Sphyrna (hammerhead shark)
Taxonomy
Sphyrna was named by Rafinesque (1810) [Sepkoski's age data: T Mi-m R Sepkoski's reference number: 1066]. It is extant.
It was assigned to Squalidae by Gibbes (1847); to Sphyrninae by Hay (1902); to Carchariidae by Woodward (1889), Chapman and Pritchard (1904), Chapman and Cudmore (1924), Leriche (1942); to Carcharhiniformes by Sepkoski (2002); to Carcharhinidae by White (1926), Maisch IV et al. (2025); and to Sphyrnidae by Rapp (1946), Casier (1958), Jordan (1963), Case (1981), Yabe and Hirayama (1998), Purdy et al. (2001), Compagno (2005), Rana et al. (2006), Kocsis (2007), Adnet et al. (2007), Cicimurri and Knight (2009), Carillo-Briceño et al. (2014), Reinecke and Radwanski (2015), Carrillo-Briceño et al. (2016), Hastings and Dooley (2017), Kent (2018), Landini et al. (2019), Adnet et al. (2020), Villafaña et al. (2020), Ebersole et al. (2024), Landau et al. (2025), Cicimurri et al. (2025).
It was assigned to Squalidae by Gibbes (1847); to Sphyrninae by Hay (1902); to Carchariidae by Woodward (1889), Chapman and Pritchard (1904), Chapman and Cudmore (1924), Leriche (1942); to Carcharhiniformes by Sepkoski (2002); to Carcharhinidae by White (1926), Maisch IV et al. (2025); and to Sphyrnidae by Rapp (1946), Casier (1958), Jordan (1963), Case (1981), Yabe and Hirayama (1998), Purdy et al. (2001), Compagno (2005), Rana et al. (2006), Kocsis (2007), Adnet et al. (2007), Cicimurri and Knight (2009), Carillo-Briceño et al. (2014), Reinecke and Radwanski (2015), Carrillo-Briceño et al. (2016), Hastings and Dooley (2017), Kent (2018), Landini et al. (2019), Adnet et al. (2020), Villafaña et al. (2020), Ebersole et al. (2024), Landau et al. (2025), Cicimurri et al. (2025).
Species
Species lacking formal opinion data
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1810 | Sphyrna Rafinesque |
| 1816 | Zygaena Cuvier |
| 1847 | Sphyrna Gibbes p. 194 |
| 1889 | Sphyrna Woodward p. 453 |
| 1902 | Sphyrna Hay p. 314 |
| 1904 | Sphyrna Chapman and Pritchard p. 275 |
| 1924 | Sphyrna Chapman and Cudmore p. 122 |
| 1926 | Sphyrna White p. 33 |
| 1942 | Sphyrna Leriche p. 36 |
| 1946 | Sphyrna Rapp p. 510 |
| 1958 | Sphyrna Casier p. 40 |
| 1963 | Sphyrna Jordan p. 601 |
| 1963 | Zygaena Jordan p. 601 |
| 1981 | Sphyrna Case p. 66 |
| 1998 | Sphyrna Yabe and Hirayama p. 50 |
| 2001 | Sphyrna Purdy et al. p. 157 |
| 2002 | Sphyrna Sepkoski |
| 2005 | Sphyrna Compagno |
| 2006 | Sphyrna Rana et al. p. 516 |
| 2007 | Sphyrna Adnet et al. p. 314 |
| 2007 | Sphyrna Kocsis p. 38 |
| 2009 | Sphyrna Cicimurri and Knight p. 635 |
| 2014 | Sphyrna Carillo-Briceño et al. p. 84 |
| 2015 | Sphyrna Reinecke and Radwanski p. 13 |
| 2016 | Sphyrna Carrillo-Briceño et al. p. 88 |
| 2017 | Sphyrna Hastings and Dooley p. 83 |
| 2018 | Sphyrna Kent p. 121 |
| 2019 | Sphyrna Landini et al. p. 361 |
| 2020 | Sphyrna Adnet et al. p. 12 |
| 2020 | Sphyrna Villafaña et al. |
| 2024 | Sphyrna Ebersole et al. p. 10 |
| 2025 | Sphyrna Cicimurri et al. p. 38 |
| 2025 | Sphyrna Landau et al. p. 27 |
| 2025 | Sphyrna Maisch IV et al. p. 35 |
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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.
G. Sphyrna Rafinesque 1810 [hammerhead shark]
show all | hide all
†Sphyrna americana Leriche 1942
†Sphyrna arambourgi Cappetta 1970
†Sphyrna denticulata Agassiz 1843
†Sphyrna gibbesii Hay 1902
†Sphyrna gracile Cicimurri et al. 2025
†Sphyrna guinoti Adnet et al. 2020
†Sphyrna integra Probst 1878
†Sphyrna itoriensis White 1926
†Sphyrna laevissima Cope 1867
†Sphyrna lata Agassiz 1843
†Sphyrna magna Cope 1868
†Sphyrna media Springer 1940
Sphyrna mokarran Rüppell 1837 [great hammerhead]
†Sphyrna robustum Cicimurri et al. 2025
Sphyrna tiburo Linnaeus 1758
†Sphyrna tortilis White 1926
Sphyrna zygaena Linnaeus 1758 [smooth hammerhead]
Invalid names: Zygaena Cuvier 1816 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: o = order, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Wagner 2023, Hendy et al. 2009, Carroll 1988 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Late/Upper Paleocene to the top of the Late/Upper Pleistocene or 59.24000 to 0.01170 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 56.0 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 56.0 Ma
Collections (132 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late/Upper Paleocene | USA (Maryland) | Sphyrna sp. (84046) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene | India | Sphyrna sp. (210158) | |
| Lutetian | Nigeria | Sphyrna itoriensis, Sphyrna tortilis (187560) | |
| Lutetian | Togo | Sphyrna sp. (32991) | |
| Lutetian | USA (Alabama) | Rhizoprionodon sp. (276540) Sphyrna sp. (13346) | |
| Bartonian | Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid Township) | Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna guinoti (173640) | |
| Late/Upper Eocene | Barbados | Sphyrna laevissima (220735) | |
| Late/Upper Eocene | USA (Georgia) | Sphyrna zygaena (73434) | |
| Priabonian | Barbados | Sphyrna laevissima (205153) | |
| Priabonian | Western Sahara | Sphyrna sp. (96686 96688) | |
| Priabonian | Egypt | Sphyrna sp. (145984) | |
| Early/Lower Oligocene | Pakistan (Balochistan) | Sphyrna sp. (78520) | |
| Rupelian | USA (Alabama) | Sphyrna sp. (235364) | |
| Whitneyan | USA (Florida) | Sphyrna sp. (17341) | |
| Chattian | USA (Mississippi) | Sphyrna gracile, Sphyrna robustum (133111) | |
| Chattian | USA (South Carolina) | Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (97550) | |
| Chattian | USA (California) | Sphyrna aus, Sphyrna bus (11601) | |
| Chattian | Angola (Cabinda) | Sphyrna sp. (56682) | |
| Aquitanian | Oman | Sphyrna laevissima (224898) | |
| Aquitanian | USA (Maryland) | Sphyrna sp. (71794) | |
| Aquitanian | Colombia (La Guajira) | Sphyrna laevissima (182218) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | India | Sphyrna diplana (87485) Sphyrna zagaena (78641) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Cuba (Sancti Spiritus) | Sphyrna mokarran (31183) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | India (Mizoram) | Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna diplana (241735) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Brazil (Para) | Sphyrna magna (65162 112580 112590) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Brazil | Sphyrna magna (112581) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Venezuela (Paraguana) | Sphyrna sp. (118106) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | USA (North Carolina) | Sphyrna zygaena (71660) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Brazil (Pará) | Sphyrna laevissima (276398 276399 276435) Sphyrna laevissima, Sphyrna arambourgi (276433) | |
| Aquitanian - Langhian | USA (North Carolina) | Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (48887) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene - Middle Miocene | Australia (Victoria) | Sphyrna sp. (51330) | |
| Miocene | USA (South Carolina) | Sphyrna americana (18506) | |
| Burdigalian | Venezuela (Falcón) | Sphyrna laevissima (276390) Sphyrna laevissima, Sphyrna arambourgi (228725 276389) | |
| Burdigalian | Germany (Bavaria) | Sphyrna sp. (210593) | |
| Burdigalian | Hungary | Sphyrna zygaena (210623) | |
| Burdigalian | Malta (Gozo) | Sphyrna arambourgi (161385) | |
| Burdigalian | Belgium | Sphyrna laevissima, Sphyrna integra (208831) | |
| Burdigalian | Peru (Ica) | Sphyrna zygaena (100330) | |
| Burdigalian | Peru | Sphyrna zygaena (167732) | |
| Burdigalian | Saudi Arabia | Sphyrna sp. (47026) | |
| Burdigalian - Langhian | USA (Maryland) | Sphyrna laevissima (18518) | |
| Burdigalian - Miocene | Argentina (Chubut) | Sphyrna sp. (133690) | |
| Langhian | France | Sphyrna arambourgi (90354) | |
| Langhian | Mexico (Baja California) | Sphyrna sp. (52183) | |
| Langhian | France (Loupian) | Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna arambourgi (161623) | |
| Langhian | France (Touraine) | Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna arambourgi (161611) | |
| Langhian | Portugal (Penedo) | Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (161620) | |
| Langhian | USA (California) | Sphyrna sp. (59059) | |
| MN 5 | Austria | Sphyrna sp. (51002) | |
| MN 5 - MN 6 | Portugal | Cestracion zygaena (65912) | |
| Langhian - Serravallian | Brazil (Para) | Sphyrna magna (58454) | |
| Middle Miocene | Venezuela (Falcon) | Sphyrna sp. (161210) | |
| Middle Miocene | India | Sphyrna diplana (72085) | |
| Middle Miocene | Japan (Gifu) | Sphyrna sp. (161445) | |
| Middle Miocene | India (Orissa) | Sphyrna lewini (46366) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna lewini (46343) | |
| Badenian | Poland | Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna laevissima (162017) | |
| Badenian | Czechia (Mikulov) | Sphyrna sp. (161993) | |
| Badenian | Slovakia (Bratislava) | Sphyrna zygaena (161996) | |
| Serravallian | France | Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran (85338) | |
| Serravallian | USA (Maryland) | Carcharias laevissimus, Carcharias magna, Sphyrna magna (57782) Sphyrna sp., Galeocerdo laevissimus, Sphyrna magna (55396) | |
| Serravallian | France (Gironde) | Sphyrna arambourgi (161533) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna arambourgi (161524) Sphyrna zygaena (161525 161527) | |
| Serravallian | USA (Virginia) | Sphyrna sp. (57700) | |
| Early/Lower Clarendonian | USA (Florida) | Sphyrna sp. (162456) | |
| Tortonian | Venezuela | Sphyrna mokarran (200110) Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran (200111) | |
| Tortonian | Panama | Sphyrna mokarran (187583) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna mokarran (96700) Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna arambourgi (24237) | |
| Tortonian | Peru | Sphyrna media (96800) | |
| Tortonian | Belgium | Sphyrna sp. (217346) | |
| Tortonian | Portugal | Sphyrna integra (276004) | |
| Tortonian | Panama (Colon) | Sphyrna lewini (160781) | |
| Tortonian | USA (California) | Sphyrna sp. (13300) | |
| Tortonian | Madagascar | Sphyrna sp. (171372) | |
| Tortonian | Argentina (Entre Rios) | Sphyrna sp. (140010) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Panama (Panama) | Sphyrna lewini (191988 191990 191993) Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran (191987) Sphyrna zygaena (191996 191997 191998) Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran (191995) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Peru (Piura) | Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna zygaena (162465) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Portugal | Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (56459) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Costa Rica (Limon) | Sphyrna zygaena (162678) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Venezuela (Falcon) | Sphyrna sp. (162677) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Brunei Darussalam | Sphyrna mokarran (275767 275769) Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran (194518) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Venezuela | Sphyrna sp. (92751) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene - Early/Lower Pliocene | USA (Florida) | Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna tiburo (276265) | |
| Tortonian - Zanclean | Ecuador | Sphyrna media (204352) | |
| Hemphillian | Costa Rica (Puntarenas) | Sphyrna arambourgi (144596) | |
| Messinian | Portugal (Alvalade) | Sphyrna sp. 1, Sphyrna sp. 2 (65955) | |
| Messinian | Portugal | Sphyrna sp. 1, Sphyrna sp. 2 (65954 91423) | |
| Messinian | Angola | Sphyrna zygaena (154111) | |
| Messinian | Japan (Chiba) | Sphyrna zygaena (202927) | |
| Messinian | Algeria | Cestracion zygaena (186631) | |
| Messinian - Zanclean | Japan (Chiba) | Sphyrna zygaena (70006) | |
| Messinian - Zanclean | Mexico (Baja) | Sphyrna vespertina, Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena, Sphyrna mokarran (154117) | |
| Messinian - Zanclean | USA (California) | Sphyrna sp. (55448) | |
| Messinian - Piacenzian | Australia (South Australia) | Sphyrna sp. (50343) | |
| Zanclean | USA (California) | Sphyrna sp. (184962) | |
| Zanclean | South Africa | Sphyrna zygaena (100313) | |
| Zanclean | Libya | Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (136597) | |
| Zanclean | USA (North Carolina) | Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (52582) | |
| Piacenzian | USA (California) | Sphyrna sp. (219849) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Japan (Kanagawa) | Sphyrna zygaena (161454) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Taiwan | Sphyrna lewini (275913) | |
| Calabrian | Ecuador | Sphyrna media (97639) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (California) | Sphyrna spp. (219031 226585) Sphyrna zygaena (59063 160361) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial) | USA (Georgia) | Sphyrna tiburo (20604) |