Galeocerdo is a genus of ground shark. Only a single species, G. cuvier, the tiger shark is extant.[1] The earliest fossils date back to the early Eocene epoch, (Ypresian), around 56–47.8 Million years ago.[2] While historically considered a member of the requiem shark family Carcharhinidae, it is currently considered to be the only member of the family Galeocerdonidae.[3] While this genus was historically considered diverse, including 21 extinct species, morphometric analysis conducted in 2021 suggested that the diversity of the genus included only 5 extinct species (including the Eocene †G. clarkensis and †G. eaglesomei, Oligocene-late Miocene †G. aduncus, Miocene †G. mayumbensis, and Pliocene †G. capellinii) much lower than previously assumed. The oldest fossils of the extant G. cuvier date to the middle Miocene.[2]
^Pollerspöck, J.; Straube, N. Bibliography Database of Living/Fossil Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras (Chondrichtyes: Elasmobranchii, Holocephali)—List of Valid Extant Species; List of Described Extant Species; Statistic, World Wide Web Electronic Publication, Version 10/2021; ISSN: 2195-6499. Available online: www.shark-references.com (accessed on 23 November 2021).
