What major vertebrate category made up the most frequently cited component of Xenacanthus meals?
Answer
Small fish.
The primary sustenance for Xenacanthus revolved around manageable prey items fitting easily within its jaws. Scientific analysis strongly indicates that the most frequently cited and consistent component of its meals consisted of small fish. These were typically the relatively smaller, slower-moving bony fishes that shared the same river and swamp basins throughout the time range of the shark's existence. While it consumed other things, small fish were the staple vertebrate element of its diet.

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