Parahelicoprion Temporal range: Early Permian
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Holocephali |
Order: | †Eugeneodontida |
Family: | †Helicoprionidae |
Genus: | †Parahelicoprion Karpinsky, 1924 |
Type species | |
Helicoprion clerci Karpinsky, 1916
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Species | |
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Parahelicoprion is an extinct genus of shark-like eugeneodontid holocephalids from the Permian of the Ural Mountains (Russia) and Copacabana Formation, Bolivia.[1] The genus name, from "nearly coiled saw" in Greek, directly refers to Helicoprion, a related holocephalid that shares similar traits to it, including the helical whorl of teeth.
The holotype of Parahelicoprion is based on a poorly preserved material,[1] so its size estimates along with those of some other large eugeneodonts are highly subjective due to their fragmentary fossil remains that cannot provide an empirical basis.[2] While Karpinsky separated the type species from the genus Helicoprion,[3] it has been recently suggested that this genus does represent a junior synonym of Helicoprion.[4]