The fossil distribution of two pelagic lamniform sharks Alopias vulpinus and Lamna nasus, from South America

The fossil record of the southeastern Pacific Ocean has been scarcely studied compared to other regions. We present the detailed description of two pelagic shark species, Alopias vulpinus (common thresher) and Lamna nasus (porbeagle) (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes), from the Neogene of South America. The fossil teeth described here were recovered from the Bahia Inglesa Formation in Caldera, northern Chile. Our study provides the first comprehensive descriptions of fossil remains of A. vulpinus from Chile and L. nasus from the Americas. The occurrence of the common thresher shark represents the first published record and description of a representative from the family Alopiidae in northern Chile, whereas the fossil remains of the porbeagle shark are recorded for the first time in Chile. This study contributes to the understanding of the past distribution of shark species in the Eastern Pacific of South America during the Neogene period. It further confirms the particular abundance of lamniform sharks in the Neogene of Chile.