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Sphyrna (hammerhead shark)

Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Sphyrnidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1810Sphyrna Rafinesque
1847Sphyrna Gibbes p. 194
1889Sphyrna Woodward p. 453
1902Sphyrna Hay p. 314
1904Sphyrna Chapman and Pritchard p. 275
1924Sphyrna Chapman and Cudmore p. 122
1926Sphyrna White p. 33
1942Sphyrna Leriche p. 36
1946Sphyrna Rapp p. 510
1958Sphyrna Casier p. 40
1963Sphyrna Jordan p. 601
1981Sphyrna Case p. 66
1998Sphyrna Yabe and Hirayama p. 50
2001Sphyrna Purdy et al. p. 157
2002Sphyrna Sepkoski
2005Sphyrna Compagno
2006Sphyrna Rana et al. p. 516
2007Sphyrna Adnet et al. p. 314
2007Sphyrna Kocsis p. 38
2009Sphyrna Cicimurri and Knight p. 635
2014Sphyrna Carillo-Briceño et al. p. 84
2015Sphyrna Reinecke and Radwanski p. 13
2016Sphyrna Carrillo-Briceño et al. p. 88
2017Sphyrna Hastings and Dooley p. 83
2018Sphyrna Kent p. 121
2019Sphyrna Landini et al. p. 361
2020Sphyrna Adnet et al. p. 12
2020Sphyrna Villafaña et al.
2024Sphyrna Ebersole et al. p. 10
2025Sphyrna Cicimurri et al. p. 38

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classChondrichthyes
RankNameAuthor
subclassElasmobranchiiBonaparte 1838
infraclassEuselachii()
—NeoselachiiCompagno 1977
superorderGaleomorphiiCompagno 1973
orderCarcharhiniformesCompagno 1973
familySphyrnidaeGill 1872
genusSphyrnaRafinesque 1810

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]
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†Sphyrna americana Leriche 1942
†Sphyrna denticulata Agassiz 1843
†Sphyrna gibbesii Hay 1902
†Sphyrna gracile Cicimurri et al. 2025
†Sphyrna guinoti Adnet et al. 2020
†Sphyrna itoriensis White 1926
†Sphyrna laevissima Cope 1867
†Sphyrna lata Agassiz 1843
†Sphyrna lewini Griffith and Smith 1834
†Sphyrna magna Cope 1868
†Sphyrna media Springer 1940
†Sphyrna robustum Cicimurri et al. 2025
†Sphyrna subserrata Münster 1846
†Sphyrna tortilis White 1926
Sphyrna zygaena Linnaeus 1758
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: marinesubp
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: nektonico
Diet: carnivoreo
Created: 2009-07-21 06:53:24
Modified: 2009-07-21 08:53:24
Source: o = order, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Wagner 2023

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

Collections (112 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Late/Upper Paleocene59.24 - 56.0USA (Maryland) Sphyrna sp. (84046)
Early/Lower Eocene56.0 - 48.07India Sphyrna sp. (210158)
Lutetian48.07 - 41.03Nigeria Sphyrna itoriensis, Sphyrna tortilis (187560)
Lutetian48.07 - 41.03Togo Sphyrna sp. (32991)
Bartonian41.03 - 37.71Tunisia (Sidi Bouzid Township) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna guinoti (173640)
Late/Upper Eocene37.71 - 33.9USA (Georgia) Sphyrna zygaena (73434)
Late/Upper Eocene37.71 - 33.9Barbados Sphyrna laevissima (220735)
Priabonian37.71 - 33.9Barbados Sphyrna laevissima (205153)
Priabonian37.71 - 33.9Egypt Sphyrna sp. (145984)
Priabonian37.71 - 33.9Western Sahara Sphyrna sp. (96686 96688)
Early/Lower Oligocene33.9 - 27.3Pakistan (Balochistan) Sphyrna sp. (78520)
Rupelian33.9 - 27.3USA (Alabama) Sphyrna sp. (235364)
Oligocene - Miocene33.9 - 5.333Argentina (Chubut) Sphyrna sp. (133690)
Whitneyan31.8 - 29.5USA (Florida) Sphyrna sp. (17341)
Chattian27.3 - 23.04USA (Mississippi) Sphyrna gracile, Sphyrna robustum (133111)
Chattian27.3 - 23.04USA (South Carolina) Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (97550)
Chattian27.3 - 23.04USA (California) Sphyrna aus, Sphyrna bus (11601)
Aquitanian23.04 - 20.45Colombia (La Guajira) Sphyrna laevissima (182218)
Aquitanian23.04 - 20.45USA (Maryland) Sphyrna sp. (71794)
Aquitanian23.04 - 20.45Oman Sphyrna laevissima (224898)
Early/Lower Miocene23.04 - 15.98Brazil Sphyrna magna (112581)
Early/Lower Miocene23.04 - 15.98USA (North Carolina) Sphyrna zygaena (71660)
Early/Lower Miocene23.04 - 15.98Cuba (Sancti Spiritus) Sphyrna mokarran (31183)
Early/Lower Miocene23.04 - 15.98India Sphyrna diplana (87485) Sphyrna zagaena (78641)
Early/Lower Miocene23.04 - 15.98Brazil (Para) Sphyrna magna (65162 112580 112590)
Early/Lower Miocene23.04 - 15.98Venezuela (Paraguana) Sphyrna sp. (118106)
Aquitanian - Langhian23.04 - 13.82USA (North Carolina) Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (48887)
Early/Lower Miocene - Middle Miocene23.04 - 11.63Australia (Victoria) Sphyrna sp. (51330)
Miocene23.04 - 5.333USA (South Carolina) Sphyrna americana (18506)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98Malta (Gozo) Sphyrna arambourgi (161385)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98Germany (Bavaria) Sphyrna sp. (210593)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98Hungary Sphyrna zygaena (210623)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98Peru Sphyrna zygaena (167732)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98Saudi Arabia Sphyrna sp. (47026)
Burdigalian20.45 - 15.98Peru (Ica) Sphyrna zygaena (100330)
Burdigalian - Langhian20.45 - 13.82USA (Maryland) Sphyrna laevissima (18518)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82France (Loupian) Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (161623)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82France (Touraine) Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (161611)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (59059)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82Portugal (Penedo) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (161620)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82France Sphyrna arambourgi (90354)
Langhian15.98 - 13.82Mexico (Baja California) Sphyrna sp. (52183)
MN 515.98 - 13.82Austria Sphyrna sp. (51002)
MN 5 - MN 615.98 - 12.75Portugal Cestracion zygaena (65912)
Langhian - Serravallian15.98 - 11.63Brazil (Para) Sphyrna magna (58454)
Middle Miocene15.98 - 11.63Japan (Gifu) Sphyrna sp. (161445)
Middle Miocene15.98 - 11.63India Sphyrna diplana (72085)
Middle Miocene15.98 - 11.63India (Orissa) Sphyrna lewini (46366) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna lewini (46343)
Middle Miocene15.98 - 11.63Venezuela (Falcon) Sphyrna sp. (161210)
Badenian13.82 - 12.8Poland Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna laevissima (162017)
Badenian13.82 - 12.8Belgium Sphyrna integra, Sphyrna laevissima (208831)
Badenian13.82 - 12.8Czechia (Mikulov) Sphyrna sp. (161993)
Badenian13.82 - 12.8Slovakia (Bratislava) Sphyrna zygaena (161996)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63France Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna zygaena (85338)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63France (Gironde) Sphyrna arambourgi (161533) Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (161524) Sphyrna zygaena (161525 161527)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63USA (Virginia) Sphyrna sp. (57700)
Serravallian13.82 - 11.63USA (Maryland) Carcharias laevissimus, Carcharias magna, Sphyrna magna (57782) Sphyrna sp., Galeocerdo laevissimus, Sphyrna magna (55396)
Early/Lower Clarendonian12.5 - 9.4USA (Florida) Sphyrna sp. (162456)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Belgium Sphyrna sp. (217346)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Argentina (Entre Rios) Sphyrna sp. (140010)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Venezuela Sphyrna mokarran (200110) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna zygaena (200111)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Peru Sphyrna media (96800)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Panama (Colon) Sphyrna lewini (160781)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (13300)
Tortonian11.63 - 7.246Panama Sphyrna arambourgi, Sphyrna zygaena (24237) Sphyrna mokarran (187583) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna sp. (96700)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Panama (Panama) Sphyrna lewini (191988 191990 191993) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna zygaena (191987) Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna zygaena (191995) Sphyrna zygaena (191996 191997 191998)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Venezuela (Falcon) Sphyrna sp. (162677)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Costa Rica (Limon) Sphyrna zygaena (162678)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Portugal Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (56459)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Peru (Piura) Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna zygaena (162465)
Late/Upper Miocene11.63 - 5.333Venezuela Sphyrna sp. (92751)
Tortonian - Zanclean11.63 - 3.6Ecuador Sphyrna media (204352)
Hemphillian9.4 - 4.7Costa Rica (Puntarenas) Sphyrna arambourgi (144596)
Messinian7.246 - 5.333Japan (Chiba) Sphyrna zygaena (202927)
Messinian7.246 - 5.333Portugal Sphyrna sp. (91423)
Messinian7.246 - 5.333Algeria Cestracion zygaena (186631)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6Japan (Chiba) Sphyrna zygaena (70006)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6Mexico (Baja) Sphyrna vespertina, Sphyrna mokarran, Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (154117)
Messinian - Zanclean7.246 - 3.6USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (55448)
Messinian - Piacenzian7.246 - 2.58Australia (South Australia) Sphyrna sp. (50343)
MN 136.965 - 5.09Portugal (Alvalade) Sphyrna sp. (65955)
MN 136.965 - 5.09Portugal Sphyrna sp. (65954)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6USA (North Carolina) Sphyrna lewini, Sphyrna media, Sphyrna zygaena (52582)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6South Africa Sphyrna zygaena (100313)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6Libya Sphyrna sp., Sphyrna zygaena (136597)
Zanclean5.333 - 3.6USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (184962)
Pliocene5.333 - 2.58Angola Sphyrna zygaena (154111)
Piacenzian3.6 - 2.58USA (California) Sphyrna sp. (219849)
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.58 - 0.774Japan (Kanagawa) Sphyrna zygaena (161454)
Calabrian1.8 - 0.774Ecuador Sphyrna media (97639)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117USA (California) Sphyrna zygaena (59063 160361)
Late/Upper Pleistocene (interglacial)0.129 - 0.0117USA (Georgia) Sphyrna tiburo (20604)