Scheenstia

Scheenstia
Temporal range: Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous, 150–125 Ma
Fossil specimen of S. maximus
Lower jaw with teeth of Scheenstia sp. scale bar = 1 cm
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Clade: Ginglymodi
Order: Lepisosteiformes
Family: †Lepidotidae
Genus: †Scheenstia
López-Arbarello & Sferco, 2011
Type species
Scheenstia zappi
López-Arbarello & Sferco, 2011
Species[1]
  • †S. mantelli (Agassiz, 1833)
  • †S. laevis (Agassiz, 1837)
  • †S. maximus (Wagner, 1863)
  • †S. decoratus (Wagner, 1863)
  • †S. degenhardti (Branco, 1885)
  • †S. hauchecornei (Wagner, 1863)
  • †S. zappi López-Arbarello & Sferco, 2011
  • †S. bernissartensis (Traquair, 1911)

Scheenstia is an extinct genus of neopterygian ray-finned fish from the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of Europe. Fossils have been found in both marine and freshwater environments.[2][3]

Life restoration of S. maxima

Most species of the genus were previously referred to the related genus Lepidotes, but most Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous species of that genus have since been re-classified as Scheenstia following detailed phylogenetic analysis.[1] It is a member of Lepisosteiformes meaning that its closest living relatives are gars. The teeth of Scheenstia are low and rounded, and were likely used for crushing hard shelled organisms (durophagy).[2] The teeth were replaced synchronously, undergoing a 180 degree rotation during development, unique among vertebrates.[4] It was probably a relatively slow swimmer that was capable of making fine movements in order to remove prey from the seafloor. [5] One species, the marine Scheenstia maximus from the Late Jurassic of Germany, could reach body lengths in excess of 1.5 metres (4.9 ft),[1] likely up to 2 metres (6.6 ft).[5]

The teeth of Scheenstia were historically known as toadstones, and were attributed magical and medicinal properties in Medieval Europe, with some being incorporated into jewelry, including on a crown held at Aachen Cathedral used to crown Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor.[6]

  1. ^ a b c López-Arbarello, A. (2012). "Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Ginglymodian Fishes (Actinopterygii: Neopterygii)". PLOS ONE. 7 (7): e39370. Bibcode:2012PLoSO...739370L. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0039370. PMC 3394768. PMID 22808031.
  2. ^ a b Leuzinger, Léa; Cavin, Lionel; López‐Arbarello, Adriana; Billon‐Bruyat, Jean‐Paul (January 2020). Smith, Andrew (ed.). "Peculiar tooth renewal in a Jurassic ray‐finned fish (Lepisosteiformes, † Scheenstia sp.)". Palaeontology. 63 (1): 117–129. doi:10.1111/pala.12446. ISSN 0031-0239. S2CID 204265568.
  3. ^ Cavin, Lionel; Deesri, Uthumporn; Olive, Sébastien (2019-07-22). "Scheenstia bernissartensis (Actinopterygii: Ginglymodi) from the Early Cretaceous of Bernissart, Belgium, with an appraisal of ginglymodian evolutionary history". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 18 (6): 513–527. doi:10.1080/14772019.2019.1634649. ISSN 1477-2019. S2CID 199631685.
  4. ^ Leuzinger, Léa; Cavin, Lionel; López‐Arbarello, Adriana; Billon‐Bruyat, Jean‐Paul (January 2020). Smith, Andrew (ed.). "Peculiar tooth renewal in a Jurassic ray‐finned fish (Lepisosteiformes, † Scheenstia sp.)". Palaeontology. 63 (1): 117–129. doi:10.1111/pala.12446. ISSN 0031-0239.
  5. ^ a b Cawley, John J.; Marramà, Giuseppe; Carnevale, Giorgio; Villafaña, Jaime A.; López‐Romero, Faviel A.; Kriwet, Jürgen (February 2021). "Rise and fall of †Pycnodontiformes: Diversity, competition and extinction of a successful fish clade". Ecology and Evolution. 11 (4): 1769–1796. doi:10.1002/ece3.7168. ISSN 2045-7758. PMC 7882952. PMID 33614003.
  6. ^ Gregorová, R., Bohatý, M., Stehlíková, D., Duffin, Ch., 2020: “Crapaudine” (Scheenstia teeth) - the jewel of Kings. – Acta Musei Moraviae, Scientiae geologicae, 105, 2, 277–294 (with Czech summary).