science

Protolamna

Protolamna is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Protolamna rather than just read about it. In short: Protolamna is an extinct genus of large mackerel shark from the Cretaceous Period. Protolamna fossils indicate gigantism evolved early on in the history of lamniforms.

Key takeaways

Protolamna belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Protolamna to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Protolamna from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Protolamna is an extinct genus of large mackerel shark from the Cretaceous Period. Protolamna fossils indicate gigantism evolved early on in the history of lamniforms.

Fossil record Protolamna is likely one of the most ancient lamniformes, known from as early as the Valanginian age of Early Cretaceous (ca. 140 Ma). It appears to have had a cosmopolitan distribution throughout its geologic range, with fossils found on every continent except Antarctica.

Paleobiology Protolamna is known from isolated teeth, and a partial dentition associated with an articulated vertebral column. Despite having small teeth (typically about 2 cm in size), from these more substantial remains, researchers have estimated a total length greater than 6 meters (20 ft). This makes Protolamna the oldest-known gigantic lamniform. From associated dermal denticles, researches have hypothesized that Protolamna was a pelagic-adapted predator that occupied near-shore environments. As a slow but active swimmer with a tearing type dentition, it likely preyed on bony fishes, small sharks, squids, and crustaceans in its environment.

Species Seven species are currently attributed to this genus, including the following:

P. borodini (Maastrichtian, New Jersey) P. carteri (Cenomanian, Texas) P. compressidens (Turonian-Coniacian, Belgium, France, Texas) P. gigantea (Cenomanian, Minnesota) P. ricaurtei (Barremian-Aptian Paja Formation, Colombia) P. roanokeensis (Albian, Texas) P. sokolovi (Aptian-Albian, Russia)

References

Bibliography Carrillo Briceño, Jorge D.; Parra, Juan; Luque, Javier (2019), "A new lamniform shark Protolamna ricaurtensis sp. nov. from the Lower Cretaceous of Colombia", Cretaceous Research, 95: 336–340, Bibcode:2019CrRes..95..336C, doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.12.007, retrieved 2019-03-12

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Protolamna

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Protolamna claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Protolamna before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Protolamna ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Protolamna

In research: Protolamna appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Protolamna in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Protolamna is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cretaceous Colombia, Cretaceous fish of Europe, Cretaceous fish of North America, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Protolamna outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Protolamna in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Protolamna means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Protolamna out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Protolamna in simple terms?

Protolamna is an extinct genus of large mackerel shark from the Cretaceous Period. Protolamna fossils indicate gigantism evolved early on in the history of lamniforms.

Why does Protolamna matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Protolamna?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Protolamna.