Synechodus

Synechodus
Temporal range: Late Triassic–Palaeocene
Skeleton of Synechodus ungeri (JME SOS 3152 B) from the Late Jurassic of Solnhofen, Germany
Tooth of Synechodus dubrisianus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: †Synechodontiformes
Family: †Palaeospinacidae
Genus: †Synechodus
Woodward, 1888
Type species
Hybodus dubrisiensis
Mackie, 1863

Synechodus is an extinct genus of shark belonging to the family Palaeospinacidae and order Synechodontiformes. It is known from 16 species primarily spanning from the Late Triassic to Paleocene.[1] The dentition is multicusped and was used for grasping.[1] Several species are known from skeletal remains, including the species Synechodus ungeri from the Late Jurassic of Germany, which shows that it was relatively short with large pectoral fins and a proportionally large head with a round snout.[1] This species is suggested to have reached a body length of 30–40 centimetres (0.98–1.31 ft).[2] Skeletal remains are also known of the species Synechodus dubrisiensis from the Cretaceous of Europe.[3] A skeleton of an indeterminate species is also known from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) of France, with a body length of around 70 centimetres (2.3 ft).[4] Synechodus is suggested to have had two dorsal fins that lacked fin spines,[5] though the number of dorsal fins is unknown in Synechodus ungeri.[1]

The remains of the oldest known Synecodontiformes from the Early Permian of Russia have been assigned to the genus as the species Synechodus antiquus,[6] though other authors have considered its attribution to the genus doubtful,[7] with other authors considering attribution of all other pre-Jurassic species to genus being questionable.[7][8]

  1. ^ a b c d Villalobos-Segura, Eduardo; Stumpf, Sebastian; Türtscher, Julia; Jambura, Patrick L.; Begat, Arnaud; López-Romero, Faviel A.; Fischer, Jan; Kriwet, Jürgen (March 2023). "A Synoptic Review of the Cartilaginous Fishes (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali, Elasmobranchii) from the Upper Jurassic Konservat-Lagerstätten of Southern Germany: Taxonomy, Diversity, and Faunal Relationships". Diversity. 15 (3): 386. doi:10.3390/d15030386. ISSN 1424-2818. PMC 7614348. PMID 36950327.
  2. ^ Klug, Stefanie (2009-06-12). "A new palaeospinacid shark (Chondrichthyes, Neoselachii) from the Upper Jurassic of southern Germany". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (2): 326–335. Bibcode:2009JVPal..29..326K. doi:10.1671/039.029.0203. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 130292129.
  3. ^ Sokolskyi, Tymofii; Guinot, Guillaume (January 2021). "Elasmobranch (Chondrichthyes) assemblages from the Albian (Lower Cretaceous) of Ukraine". Cretaceous Research. 117: 104603. Bibcode:2021CrRes.11704603S. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104603.
  4. ^ Mollen, Frederik H.; Hovestadt, Dirk C. (2018-12-20). "A new partial skeleton of a palaeospinacid shark (Neoselachii, Synechodontiformes) from the Albian of northern France, with a review of the taxonomic history of Early Cretaceous species of Synechodus Woodward, 1888". Geodiversitas. 40 (4): 557. doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2018v40a25. ISSN 1280-9659.
  5. ^ Klug, Stefanie; Kriwet, Jürgen (May 2008). "A new basal galeomorph shark (Synechodontiformes, Neoselachii) from the Early Jurassic of Europe". Naturwissenschaften. 95 (5): 443–448. Bibcode:2008NW.....95..443K. doi:10.1007/s00114-007-0341-0. ISSN 0028-1042. PMID 18196213. S2CID 8460659.
  6. ^ Ivanov, Alexander (2005-08-30). "Early Permian chondrichthyans of the Middle and South Urals" (PDF). Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia. 8 (2): 127–138. doi:10.4072/rbp.2005.2.05.
  7. ^ a b Rees, Jan; Campbell, Hamish J.; Simes, John E. (2023-05-21). "The first Triassic elasmobranch teeth from the Southern Hemisphere (Canterbury, New Zealand)". New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics: 1–8. doi:10.1080/00288306.2023.2214369. ISSN 0028-8306. S2CID 258840273.
  8. ^ Klug, Stefanie; Kriwet, Jürgen (September 2010). "A new Late Jurassic species of the rare synechodontiform shark, Welcommia (Chondrichthyes, Neoselachii)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 84 (3): 413–419. Bibcode:2010PalZ...84..413K. doi:10.1007/s12542-010-0058-9. ISSN 0031-0220. S2CID 129213049.