Sclerorhynchus

Sclerorhynchus
Temporal range: Turonian-Maastrichtian
Life restoration of Sclerorhynchus atavus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Rajiformes
Family: †Ganopristidae
Genus: †Sclerorhynchus
Woodward, 1889[1]
Type species
†Sclerorhynchus atavus
Woodward, 1889
Other species
  • †Sclerorhynchus leptodon
    (Arambourg, 1935)[2]
  • †Sclerorhynchus pettersi
    Case & Cappetta, 1997[3]
  • †Sclerorhynchus fanninensis
    Cappetta & Case, 1999[4]
  • †Sclerorhynchus priscus
    Cappetta & Case, 1999
  • †Sclerorhynchus karakensis
    Mustafa, Case, & Zalmout, 2002[5]
Synonyms
Genus synonymy
  • Ganopristis
    Arambourg, 1935
Species synonymy
  • S. atavus
      • Squatina crassidens
        Woodward, 1889
      • Ganopristis libanica
        Arambourg, 1940[6]
    S. leptodon
      • Ganopristis leptodon
        Arambourg, 1935
      • Sclerorhynchus batavicus
        Albers & Weiler, 1964[7]

Sclerorhynchus (from Greek: σκληρός scleros, 'hard' and Greek: ῥύγχος rhynchos 'snout') is an extinct genus of ganopristid sclerorhynchoid that lived during the Late Cretaceous. The genus Ganopristis is considered a junior synonym of Sclerorhynchus.[8][9] It was a widespread genus, with fossils found in the Middle East (S. atavus, S. karakensis), North Africa (S. leptodon), Europe (S. leptodon), and North America (S. fanninensis, S. pettersi, S. priscus). While it had a long rostrum with large denticles similar to sawfishes and sawsharks, its closest living relatives are actually skates.[10] Complete specimens of S. atavus show that its fin arrangement was similar to skates, with the pectoral and pelvic fins touching, both dorsal fins located behind the pelvic fins, and a reduced caudal fin.[11]

  1. ^ Woodward, A.S. (1889). Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History). Part 1. Containing the Elasmobranchii. London: Trustees of the British Museum. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.161983.
  2. ^ Arambourg, C. (1935). "Note préliminaire sur les Vertébrés fossiles des phosphates du Maroc". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. 5e série. 5: 413–438.
  3. ^ Case, G.R.; Cappetta, H. (1997). "A new selachian fauna from the Late Maastrichtian of Texas (Upper Cretaceous/Navarro Group; Kemp Formation)". Münchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen Reihe A: Geologie und Paläontologie. 34: 131–189.
  4. ^ Cappetta, H.; Case, G.R. (1999). "Additions aux faunes de sélaciens du Crétacé du Texas (Albien supérieur-Campanien)". Palaeo Ichthyologica. 9: 5–111.
  5. ^ Mustafa, H.A.; Case, G.R.; Zalmout, I. (2002). "A new selachian fauna from the Wadi Umm Ghudran Formation (Late Cretaceous) - Central Jordan". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 226 (3): 419–444. doi:10.1127/njgpa/226/2002/419.
  6. ^ Arambourg, C. (1940). "Le groupe des Ganopristinés". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. 5e série. 10 (3–6): 127–147. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.S5-X.3-6.127.
  7. ^ Albers, H.; Weiler, W. (1964). "Eine Fischfauna aus der oberen Kreide von Aachen und neuere Funde von Fischresten aus dem Maestricht des angrenzenden belgisch-holländischen Raumes". Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. 120: 1–33.
  8. ^ Arambourg, C. (1952). "Les Vertébrés fossiles des gisements de phosphates (Maroc - Algérie - Tunisie)" (PDF). Notes et Mémoires du Service géologique du Maroc. 92: 1–372.
  9. ^ Greenfield, T. (2021). "Corrections to the nomenclature of sawskates (Rajiformes, Sclerorhynchoidei)". Bionomina. 22 (1): 39–41. doi:10.11646/bionomina.22.1.3. S2CID 239067365.
  10. ^ Villalobos-Segura, E.; Kriwet, J.; Vullo, R.; Stumpf, S.; Ward, D.J.; Underwood, C.J. (2021). "The skeletal remains of the euryhaline sclerorhynchoid †Onchopristis (Elasmobranchii) from the 'Mid'-Cretaceous and their palaeontological implications". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 193 (2): 746–771. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa166.
  11. ^ Cappetta, H. (1980). "Les Sélaciens du Crétacé supérieur du Liban. II. Batoïdes". Palaeontographica, Abteilung A. 168 (5–6): 149–229.