Fossil sharks: A pictorial review

FOSSIL SHARKS: a pictorial review

By Gerard R.Case

The right to use or reproduce the whole or any part of this book is prohibited without written permis­ sion of the author, except that refer­ ence may be made to the text or illustrations for purposes of review .

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� /(?()_.__ FOSSIL SHARKS: a pictorial review By Gerard

R.Case

© Gerard R. Case 197 3 All rights reserved First Printing May 1973

Price�:

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Order additional copies from:

l'rinlecl l>y

PIONEER LITHO CO. INC. 350 HUDSON STREET

•

Radiograph

the front half of a fossil edcstid A gassi::odus ( Campodu.1·) rariabilis Worthen. Pennsylvanian of Nebraska.

of

shark-like fish,

St. John &

NEW YORK CITY, N. Y. 10014

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Foreword: In 1967, the author published a book called "Fossil Shark and Fish Remains of North America." It was only twenty pages in length, but it was packed with large, clear photographs and drawings of fossil fish with shark fossils predominating. The book became very popular, and within a short time it was completely sold out. Plans were made to reprint it, but since the author had acquired much new in­ formation as well as many new photographs of fossil sharks, he decided to publish a completely new, updated book. This present work is the result of five years of research. It is intended to help readers identify fossil shark remains and act as a useful guide to fossil shark teeth and the fossilized hard parts of ancient sharks. The book is a picture book. It is based on some of the finest photographs ever taken of fossil shark teeth. The most striking were recently done by a French photo­ grapher who is a fossil shark enthusiast. The order of presentation is from fossils of the oldest (Devonian) formations down to recent oceanic forms. There arc sections dealing with the hard parts of sharks such as dermal denticles (ossicles), stingray barbs, cartilage masses, dorsal fin spines, cephalic (head) hooks, vertebral centrums, etc. Most important of all is a section on accidentally preserved whole sharks, a rarity in nature. Entire skel­ etons have been preserved with all the details clearly showing: delicate structures such

as

braincases, fins, claspers, eye structures and coprolites (fossilized fecal

pellets). Many of the specimens are presented for the very first time. For instance, new occurrences are shown for species from the Cretaceous of New Jersey. Some spec­ imens such as the various teeth from Morocco have previously been pictured in the works of Arambourg, Priem, etc., but new views are presented here. Where possible, the specimens were photographed from various angles to provide maximum information. Early scientists such as Cuvier, Mantell, Agassiz and later Leidy, Cope and Marsh assigned names and orders to fossil teeth. We can also thank these early pioneer fossil workers for the earliest examples of the synonomy problem which continues to plague us, i.e. different names for the same to_oth. To the best of the author's ability, this problem has been eliminated in the new book. It may still contain errors-which is natural for an evolving discipline. But there comes a time when publication of a technical or scientific work becomes im­ perative despite some possibility of error, otherwise a valuable effort can be wasted. As for the format of the book-it was designed for handiness. The author has tried to keep the presentation simple. So the book purposely has very little text, the chapters have no numbers and the illustrations generally have no captions be­ neath them. This permits maximum use of space for

photographs

and drawings.

Some of the photographs are accompanied by line drawings to emphasize signif­ icant features. The illustrations have been designed to provide utmost clarity of detail. Photographs are numbered, and their corresponding captions are found in near proximity. Captions consist of name of specimen, formation (where known) 2 ---·--····

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and general area where the specimen was recovered. Age is indicated in the sub­ chapter headings. For example, under Devonian Period-illustration number 1 is: Orodus sp., Cleveland shales, Cleveland, Ohio. New specimens of the teeth illustrated here are constantly being recovered from formations in the United States, Europe, Africa and other parts of the world. The author hopes this book will help tossil hunters identify their finds. He hopes 1 that it will be enjoyable and helpful to anyone who is interested in natural history and the study of the life that existed in prehistoric times on this wonderful earth of ours.

Contents: Foreword ......................................................p. 2 Geologic Chart .................................................p. 4 Credits

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p. 4

Devonian Period ...............................................p. 6 Carboniferous Period: (Mississippian sub-division)

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(Pennsylvanian sub-division) ....

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Permian Period .................................................p. 1 6 Triassic Period .................................................p. 1 8 Jurassic Period .................................................p. 1 8 Cretaceous Period ............................................... p. 1 9 Tertiary Period: (Paleocene epoch)

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(Eocene epoch) ..

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(Miocene epoch) .......................................p. 35 Modern Sharks .................................................p. 41 Shark Hard Parts ................................................p. 48 Rare Preservation ...............................................p. 56 Bibliography

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.. ...Inside back cover _.

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The Devonian period:

millions of years

320

Carboniferous period:

265 240

(Mississippian sub-division) (Pennsylvanian sub-division)

The Permian period:

215

Triassic - Jurassic

160

Cretaceous period:

90

(Paleocene Eocene and Miocene epoch) I

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60-15

CREDITS Photography: Tod Fujihira, Julius Weber, Paul Menut, Gerard R. Case, Dean Wegner, Donald Baird, Michael K. Braun, William Hlavin, Jiri Zidek, and John R. Boreske, Jr. Editor: Andrew Certner Layout and drawings: Gerard R. Case Special thanks to Ms. Laura Harding of Holmdel, New Jersey for allowing the author the privilege of collecting fossil specimens on her farm property.

SHARK TOOTH MORPHOLOGY NUTRITIVE PIT

MEDIA N BOSS

LATERAL

ENTIRE MA RGIN---� (BLADE) (CROWN)

Inner face 4

DENTICLE$ (CUSPS) GROWTH CRA CKS

Profile

Outer face

The author points to seam of gravel which lies buried in Pleistocene loess. The gravel seam rep­ resents an old river bed or creek bottom. In this gravel, fossil shark teeth have been found. The teeth originally came from the underlying marls of Cretaceous age. They were leached out by water action and gravity. Holmdel, New Jersey.

The author (right) looks on while his associates ::md fellow collectors, Ted White (left) and Bill Rushlau (center) look over a geology report for the quarry they are in. They are looking for Pennsylvanian age shark fos­ sils. Richfield, Nebraska.

The author (right) and Ted White of Omaha, Nebraska, look over some shale for possible traces of shark-like fishes. Crescent, Iowa.

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The Devonian period: Devonian outcroppings are widely dispersed throughout the northeast regions of the United States, in parts of Ohio and Iowa and throughout the Appalachian mountain region. The most common deposit of Devonian age rocks is the Hamilton shales which can be found throughout most of New York State, parts of Pennsylvania and Northern New Jersey. Since this book is concerned with the fossil fish fauna found in these rocks as well as rocks of other ages, we'll discuss here the most likely Devonian deposits which contain these fossils. The Cleveland shales of the northwestern part of Pennsylvania and the northern sec­ tion of Ohio, especially around Cleveland and its suburbs, contains some of the finest fossils so far found in Devonian rocks. They far surpass the fossils collected in the Hamilton shales of New York State which at one time was the prime source for fossil fishes. The Cleveland shales of northeastern Ohio contain some of the most splendid fossil fishes and hy far the oldest known shark-like fishes found anywhere in the world today. Although fossil fishes, primarily arthrodires, and some sharks, mostly cladodontids have been collected in that region for well over 100 years by such workers as Clark, Herzer, Terrell and Hyde-there are still many specimens being collected there to this day. A particularly fortunate large find of fossil fishes was made during the excavation for the road-bed of Interstate 71 in 1965. Literally thousands of specimens were collected while work was temporarily halted on the roadway. Many of the fossils are new to science. Complete sharks such as Orodus and Cladose/ache were found along with new arthro­ dire species. The teeth of Orodus and Cladoselache as well as a new shark similar to Diademodus are fairly common in these deposits. Note: The Oroclru teeth pictured here may seem similar to A ga.1.1i;:odrrs ( Campodtt.\ l teeth pictured chewhcre in thi� book. There is no relationship. Orocltt1 is more closely related tLl the hybodonb.

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The Carboniferous period: (Mississippian sub-division) The Carboniferous period is comprised of two major subdivisions; the Mississippian and the Pennsylvanian. Mississippian and Pennsylvanian deposits are widespread throughout the world and contain the largest amounts of fossil fishes-primarily sharks. During the Mississippian, n�ost of the branchings of the various shark families oc­ curred, with an abundance of bradyodont and cochliodont types. The bradyodonts (including the petalodontids and the edestids) were very common and their respective species grew to huge sizes. The cochliodonts or pseudo-chimeroids were represented in great varieties by Coclzliodus, Psammodus, Deltodus, and Sandolodus. Their tooth plates form the majority of finds within the Mississippian. Also found were many ichthyo­ durolites in the form of clasper hooks, and dorsal fin spines, some very ornate. The petalodonts were represented by the tooth plates of Ctenoptyclzius, Petalodus, Fissodus, and Janassa, as well as Clwmatodus. The cladodonts and edestids were becoming fairly abundant at this time as well, and many crinoidal limestones (particularly in Iowa: The Keokuk and Burlington) were packed with varieties of these teeth. The large dorsal fin spines, some growing to over 1 foot or more in length, were dispersed throughout the limestones, and to this day no one knows for sure which fish type they belong to-although it seems likely that they are of cochliodontid origin.

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8 l. Orodus sp. Symphysial tooth. Cleveland shale, Cleveland. Ohio. 2. Orodus sp. Lateral tooth. Cleveland shale, Cleveland, Ohio.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Cladoselaclze fy/eri. Lateral tooth. Cleveland shale. Cleveland, Ohio. Sando/odus vccidentalis. Cru�her tooth plate. Keokuk limestone. South English, Iowa. Deltodus sp. Crusher tooth plate. Burlington limestone. Oakland Mills, Iowa. Orodus sp.

(upper left)

and Psammudus sp.

(right). Crusher tooth plates.

Burlington

limestone, Augusta, Iowa.

7. Ctenoptyclzius sp. Crusher tooth. Keokuk limestone, Keswick, Iowa. 8. Psammodus sp. Crusher tooth plate. Glen Dean Formation. Star Landing, Missouri. 9. Antliodus cucullus. Crusher tooth. (petalodont). Coal measures. Illinois. 10. A ntlivdus minutus. Crusher tooth. (petalodont). Coal measures. Illinois. 11. Chomatodus sp. Crusher tooth. Carboniferous. Illinois. 12. Petalodus sp. (?). Crusher tooth. Burlington limestone, Keswick, Iowa.

The Carboniferous period: (Pennsylvanian sub-division) The Pennsylvanian age is the age of coal-forming, and the seas were teeming with all types of shark-like fishes. The predominant species were the cladodonts, the carni­ vores of the seas. The edestids were coming into their own and even branching off into weird forms with complicated symphysial (center of the jaw) whorls of teeth. These teeth would ke�p growing with no loss (most sharks lose teeth), and the constant growth caused the dentition to grow back onto itself forming whorls. To this day scientists cannot completely figure out the arrangement of these complicated whorls within the jaws of these primitive shark-like fishes. Perhaps someday complete skeletons will be found showing the dentition in place. This is highly likely, since every day discoveries of complete fossil fishes are being made all over the world. The Pennsylvanian deposits covered most of our present state of Pennsylvania, a good part of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois , Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska, with small scatterings throughout the Western states. Europe has its share of Pennsylvanian deposits, some containing fine examples of fossil sharks-especially the pleuracanthids, a fresh-water shark with an eel-like body and forked teeth. The petalodontids were widely distributed throughout the Pennsylvanian as were the cochliodonts. The cladodonts and edestids were the most abundant.

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13. Cladodus sp. Lateral tooth. Keiwitz shale. Louisville, Nebraska. 14. Cladodus sp. Lateral tooth. Stark shale. Winterset, Iowa. 15. Cladodus sp. Lateral tooth. Queen Hill shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 16. Cladodus sp. (Tooth in coprolite mass). Labette Formation. Madrid, Iowa. 17. Cladodus sp. Lateral tooth. Queen Hill shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 18. Cladodus sp. Lateral tooth.Queen Hill shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

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(After Jaekel, 1899, from Berman, 1967)

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19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36.

C/adodus cf. mortifer. Carboniferous. Illinois and Iowa.

Cladodus ferox. Lateral tooth. Carboniferous. lllinois and Iowa.

Diademodus sp. Stark shale. Winterset, Iowa.

Xenacanthus compressus Newberry. Pleuracanth tooth cast. Linton, Ohio. Campodus sp. Crusher tooth. Conemaugh Formation. Albany, Ohio.

Campodus sp. Crusher tooth. Queen Hill shale, Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Campodus sp. Crusher tooth. Queen Hill shale, Plattsmouth, Nebraska.

Campodus sp. Crusher tooth. Hertha limestone. Stuart, Iowa.

Campodus variabilis. Crusher tooth. Severy shale. Clarinda, Iowa.

Campodus sp. Crusher tooth. Conemaugh Formation. Albany, Ohio.

Agassizodus sp. Battery crusher teeth. Queen Hill shale, Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Campodus sp. Symphysial tooth whorl. Stark shale. Crescent, Iowa.

Campodus sp. Battery crdsher teeth. Wea shale. Papillion, Nebraska.

Campodus sp. Symphysial tooth plate. Stanton Formation. Louisville, Nebraska. Edestus

sp. Symphysial tooth (fragment). Hertha limestone. St. Charles, Iowa.

Edestus sp. Symphysial tooth (complete blade). Hertha limestone. St. Charles, Iowa. Edestus sp. Symphysial tooth whorl plate. Labette Formation, Madrid, Iowa.

Edestus minor Newberry. Symphysial whorl. Coal measures. Indiana. (Photo courtesy of

Donald Baird). 37. Edestus vorax Leidy. Symphysial whorl. Coal measures. Illinois. 38. Ctenoptyclzius semicircularis. Petalodont crusher tooth. Keiwitz shale. Louisville, Nebraska. (Various views of the same tooth). 39. Ctenoptychius semicircularis. Petalodont crusher tooth. Keiwitz shale. Louisville, Nebraska. 40. C/wmatodus sp. (Oral and outer views). Deer Creek limestone. Weeping Water, Nebraska. 41. Ant/iodus sp. (Oral and outer views). Doniphan shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 42. Petalodus allegheniensis. Pavement tooth. South Bend Formation. Graham, Texas. 43. Petalodus allegheniensis. Pavement tooth. Doniphan shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 44. Fissodus sp. (2 teeth of a petalodont). Beil limestone. Rock Bluff, Nebraska. 45. Janassa sp. Pavement tooth. Doniphan shale. Ro�k Bluff, Nebraska. 46. Janassa bituminosa Schlotheim. (Reconstruction of pavement teeth in jaws). After Jaekel, 1899- from Berman, D.S. 1967.

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The Permian period: The Permian period was next after the Pennsylvanian. Many of the varities of shark­ like fishes were dying out or at least evolving into other forms during this period. The cladodontids were giving way to the upcoming hybodontids, while the predominant forms now became the pleuracanthids. Edestids were becoming so complicated through jaw evolution that they soon died out entirely, never to be seen again in any period after the Triassic. The pleuracanthids were destined to be short-lived-an experiment, like many others, which did not work. The remaining types: the cladodontids and their relatives, the ctenacanthids and the orodontids, were soon to evolve into forms such as Acrodus and Hybodus. The hybodonts would eventually evolve into most of the modern forms we have today, during the latter part of the Mesozoic, particularly the Cretaceous period. Permian deposits are widely distributed throughout Russia and many other parts of Europe, while in the United States their distribution seems to be confined to the South­ west and parts of the West. There are a few stringers of the Permian in West Virginia and Ohio. They are not as fossiliferous as the great Permian deposits along the Texas Oklahoma border. Many fine examples of pleuracanth remains have been recovered in these deposits, amazingly, even a complete skull (see Fig. 250). It is amazing, in view of the fact that very little cartilage of fossil sharks is preserved in unconsolidated sedimentary layers such as dolomites, shales or limestones.

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47. Phoebodus sp.

55 _/ (3

views-same tooth). Indian Cave sandstone.

Onaga Formation.

Peru,

Nebraska.

48. Ac:rodus sp. (2 views). Indian Cave sandstone. Onaga Formation. Peru, Nebraska. 49. He/(){/us sp. Crusher tooth plate. Doniphan shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 50. Stamiobatis sp. Crusher tooth plate. South Bend Formation. Graham, Texas. 51. Cochliodus sp. Crusher tooth plate. (Small drawing to upper left shows tooth shape-sep­ m·ated from matrix). Keiwitz shale. Louisville, Nebraska.

52. Hybodus sp. Onaga Formation (contact zone-Permian). (2 views-same specimen). Peru, Nebraska.

53. Pleuracanthus texensis. a. outer view, b. lateral view, c. oral view. Lower Admiral Forma­ tion. Waurika, Oklahoma.

54. Pleuracantlws texensis. Thin section through tooth to show internal structure. Lower Ad­ miral Formation. Waurika, Oklahoma.

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The Triassic period: Triassic deposits in the United States are found primarily in the Western states, although fresh-water Triassic deposits are fairly common in the East. The dominant shark-like fish is now the hybodont in the form of Hybodus, while the ancestors of the chimeroids seem to be coming into their own. The earlier ptyctodontids from the Devonian-the cochliodontids common in the Carboniferous-have not been proven to be the earliest ancestors of the chimeroids, but rather a divergent group with apparent similarities. Soon the hybodonts would give rise to other families of sharks, particularly the ptychodonts (Ptychodus mammalaris, P. decurrens, etc.) of the Cretaceous.

The Jurassic period:

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Jurassic deposits do not occur too widely in the continental United States. They are more widely distributed in Europe, especially in England and Germany. These deposits contain the remains of varieties of hybodonts and forerunners of the chimeroid fishes. Acrodus and Asteracantlws were now becoming fairly abundant as well as a few typical Hybodus types. The typical carnivorous tooth of Hybodus was giving way to the shell­ crushing type of tooth of Acrodus and Asteracanthus. This was even more true in the case of Asteracantlws where the tooth plates are evenly flat as in some of the later rays and skates. Acrodus still had "peaks" on its teeth, and most probably it represented a divergent type of heterodont shark which could be both carnivorous in the usual fash­ ion, capturing its prey with its pointed teeth, and could also crush shells with certain teeth in a different location, usually in the back of the mouth. This highly versatile fish would not become abundant, but would nevertheless survive into the present day in the form of the Port Jackson shark (H eterodontus plzillipi). The chimeroids were becoming more modern, and their tooth plates similar in ap­ pearance to turtle beaks (with which they were often confused in the earlier days of paleontology) were simple crusher plates. The beaks were used for nibbling. The crusher plates had complicated tritors (lumps)-in these earlier days. Eventually the tooth plates became more simple, as in our present day chimaeras (ratfishes).

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The Cretaceous period: Cretaceous deposits are very widespread. Most of the East Coast of North America has representative deposits of Cretaceous age along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, stretch­ ing from Central New Jersey down into a portion of northern South Carolina. The Gulf Coastal Plain has large Cretaceous deposits, especially in Texas, with stringers in Alabama and Mississippi. The West Coast has a small amount of Cretaceous deposition as do the Midwestern States, in particular Minnesota and Iowa. The largest inland Cretaceous deposits are found in Col��>rado, Kansas and western Nebraska. 1 Many of the sharks represented in today's oceans were present in the Cretaceous. The Triassic-Jurassic age was the turning point towards modern forms, and now the "true sharks" started evolving with the critical species being the hybodonts. No longer are they called "shark-like'' fishes, which are the more primitive forms found from the Devonian up through the Permian. Forms such as Scapanorhynchus (the Goblin sharks), their close cousins Odontaspis (the Sand shark), Lamna (the Porbeagle or Mackerel shark), Ginglymostoma (the Nurse shark), Notidanus (the Cow-shark), and Squatina (the Angel shark or "Monk­ fish") were now developing, and their fossilized teeth are hardly distinguishable from some of our present forms. The skates and rays were starting to evolve in this period as well, with the earliest forms of Rhinoptera (the Cow-nose ray) and Hypoloplzus. Sawfishes were developing in the forms of Ischyrlziza, Sclerorhynclws and Onclzosaurus, with varieties such as: Onchopristis, Pucapristis and Ctenopristis. These were the ear­ liest forms-ganopristines. They would be replaced in the Cenozoic by pristids, the difference being in the structure of the rostral teeth. That is, in the ganopristines the rostral teeth were a combination of bone and dentine (enamel), while in the pristines they were all bone. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

Helicoprion bessonowi. Karpinsky. Symphysial tooth whorl. Russia. (Cast).

Hybodus sp. Triassic of Germany.

Acrudus nobilis. (A hybodont). Jurassic of England.

Acrodus anningiae Agassiz. (A hybodont). Jurassic of England.

Myriacanthus sp. Crusher plate of a paleo-chimaeroid fish. Jurassic of England. A steracanth us omatissimus. Crusher plate. ( 3 views). Jurassic of England.

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61. Hybodus sp. (3 views each of two separate specimens. Side cusps missing). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 62. Lamna comubica. Lamnoid tooth. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 63. Lamna appendiculata Agassiz. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 64. Otodus levis Gibbes. (3 views). Eagle Ford shale. Dallas, Texas. 65. Oxyrltina mantelli. (2 views). Mt. Laurel Formation. Yardville, New Jersey. 66. Scyllium sp. Woodbine Formation. Tarrant County, Texas. 67. Anomotodon plicatus Arambourg. (2 views each of two specimens. Upper row-lower jaw teeth, lower row-upper jaw teeth). Navesink Formation. Holmdel and Marlboro, New

Jersey. 68. Scapanorhynchus rhaphiodon Agassiz. (3 views of an intermediate tooth). Navesink For­ mation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 69. Scapanorhynclzus rlzaphiodon. Adult specimen. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 70. Leptostyrax bicuspidatus. (3 views of a typical tooth). Austin Chalk Formation. Lake Texoma, Texas. 71. Odontaspis sp. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 72. S�apanorhynchus tenuis Davis. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

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73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

Lamna sulcata Geinitz. Woodbine Formation. Tarrant County, Texas. Lamna serrata Agassiz. Navesink Formation. Marlboro, New Jersey. Otodus appendiculatus Agassiz. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Squalicorax falcatus Agassiz. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Squalicorax falcatus. Thin section showing internal structure (not hollow as in carcharhinid tooth-see Fig. 159 for comparison). Squalicorax pristodontus (Morton). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Ginglymostoma subafricanum Leriche. Maestrichtian. Foum-Tizi, Morocco. Rlzinoptera sp. (3 views of a pavement section). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

81.

Rhinoptera sp. (4 views of a pavement section). Navesink Formation. Marlboro, New

Jersey. 82.

Rhinoptera sp. (4 views of a pavement crusher). Navesink Formation, Holmdel, New

Jersey.

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II

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93 83. Squatina sp. ( 4 views of the same tooth). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 84. Ptyclwdus mortoni Mantell. (5 views of a crusher tooth plate). Niobrara Chalk Forma­

tion. Russell, Kansas. 85. Ptyclwdus decurrens 86. 87. 88, 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94.

Agassiz. (3 views of a crusher tooth plate). Chalk. England. Ptyclzodus mammilaris Agassiz. (5 views of a crusher tooth plate). Eagle Ford shale. Dallas, Texas. Isclzyrlziza mira mira Leidy. (5 views of a sawfish rostral tooth). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Isclzyrhiza mira. Taylor Formation. Ladonia, Texas. Sclerorhynchus /eptodon (Arambourg). (3 views of a sawfish rostral tooth). Maestrich­ tian. Beni-Idir, Morocco. Sclerorlzynclzus sp. (3 views of a sawfish rostral tooth). Eagle Ford shale. Dallas, Texas. Onclwpristis dunk/ei McNulty & Slaughter. Sawfish rostral tooth. Coleraine Formation. Keewatin, Minnesota. (See Case, 1965 in bibliography). Onclwpristis dunk/ei. Sawfish rostral tooth-reconstruction. Woodbine Formation. Tarrant County, Texas. (See McNulty & Slaughter, 1962 in bibliography). Ankistrorhynchus sp. Sawfish rostral tooth. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Sclzizorhiza stromeri Weiler. (3 views of a sawfish rostral tooth). Maestrichtian. Beni­ ldir, Morocco.

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97 27

99

101 \

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(After Arambourg, 1941)

102

104

103

Note: Chimeroid jaws are usually in fragments and badly worn in most Cretaceous deposits. It is not always possible to identify them even as to genus. The jaws may occasionally be found in good condition, but it is not easy to identify the species because there is a divergence of structure in the jaws with sex and age of the individual. This has always been the biggest problem. with assigning names to fossil chimaeras.

95. Onchosaurus maroccanus Arambourg. (4 views of a sawfish rostral tooth). Maestrichtian. Foum-Tizi, Morocco. 96. lsclzyrlziza mira sp. Oral tooth of a sawfish. (4 views). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 97. lschyrlziza mira. (same specimen as no. 96). Drawings. 98. Sclerorlzynchus sp. Oral tooth of a sawfish. (4 views). Austin Chalk Formation, Dallas, Texas. 99. Ctenopristis nougareti Arambourg. (3 views each of two separate specimens of a saw­ fish rostral tooth). Maestrichtian. Khouribga, Morocco. 100. lschyrhiza mira sp. Reconstruction of sawfish oral teeth in jaw. 101. Ctenopristis nougareti. Reconstruction of rostral teeth in rostrum. (After Arambourg, 1941). 102. lsclzyodus thurmanni Pictet et Campiche. Chimaera jaws. Left: 2 views of right side of the palatal plate (upper jaw) and right: 2 views of the left side of the mandibular (lower jaw) plate. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 103. lschyodus thurmanni Pictet et Campiche. Chimaera jaw. Right palatal plate. Merchant­ ville Formation. St. Georges, Delaware. 29 -------· -···-----··---�--

T he Tertiary period: Paleocene epoch. Paleocene outcroppings or deposits were dispersed sparsely and in some areas are found only as stringers-small fingerings into the Cretaceous or sometimes into the following Eocene formation. The fauna is transitional from the Cretaceous to the Ter­ tiary. Certain forms such as Otodus, Squalicorax and the ganopristine sawfish, lschy­ rhiza mira, can be found in the Paleocene, but this period's fauna is dominated by far by the ever increasing odontaspids. Squalicorax was soon to evolve into a more modern form, the Basking shark. The pristid sawfishes were now evolving.

30

T he Tertiary period: Eocene epoch. Eocene deposits are fairly common throughout the world, especially along the coast­ lines of North America, Europe and North Africa. The Eocene seas were transitional upon the older deposits of the Cretaceous, causing problems when collecting through several zones of deposits. A mixture of species from different ages can confuse the collector and the scientist. This phenomenon, sad to say, is common on the Atlantic Coastal Plain of North America where teeth of Eocene age have "reworked'' them­ selves (through underground waterways) into older formations. A sharp eye and a bit of knowledge based on the species of each age is necessary if one is not to be fooled by a "new" species which is really from the younger Eocene formation. , The modern forms of today's sharks were present in the Eocene except for a few which evolved later in the Miocene (such as the White shark, the Mako, etc.). The Tiger sharks were present and the odontaspids (the Sandsharks) were common. Some deposits, notably Abbey Wood in the English Eocene, are composed primarily of the remnants of Odontaspis. The pristids were present-the skates and rays were rapidly advancing-with Myliobatis and Aetobatis (the Eagle and Duck-billed rays) becoming common.

31

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116

: I

(?). Partial right palatal plate. Navesink Formation. Lumberton, New Jersey. Carcharodon landenensis Leriche. (Oral and outer views). Montian. Oued-Zem, Morocco. Notidanus ancistrodon Arambourg. (Outer and oral views). Thanatian. Oued-Zem, Morocco. Notidanion howelli Reed. Hornerstown Formation. Cream Ridge, New Jersey. Notidanus microdon Agassiz. Hornerstown Formation. Cream Ridge, New Jersey. Ging/ymostoma africanum Leriche. (5 views). Thanatian. Sidi-Daoui, Morocco. Ginglymostoma maghrebianum Casier. (5 views). Thanatian. Sidi-Daoui, Morocco. Heterodontus lerichei Casier. (2 views each of 2 specimens). Landanian. Belgium.

104. Edaphodon sp.

'

105. 106.

107. 108. 109. 110. 111. 112. Cestracion sp. (H eterodontus. 113. 114. 115. 116. 117. 118. 119. 120. 121. 122. 123. 124.

3 views each of 3 specimens). Aquia Formation. Belvedere Beach, Virginia. Syneclzodus eocaenus Leriche. (3 views). Landanian. Dormaal, Belgium. Notidanus loozi Vincent. (oral and outer views). Landanian. Dormaal, Belgium. Notidanus loozi Vincent. Landanian. Dormaal, Belgium. Lamna ob/iqua (Agassiz). Ypresian. Sidi-Daoui, Morocco. Lamna aschersoni (Stromer). (Oral and outer views). Ypresian. Sidi-Daoui, Morocco. Odontaspis e/egans. Aquia Formation. Belvedere Beach, Virginia. Odontaspis macro/a. Aquia Formation. Fairview Beach, Virginia. Odontaspis vincenti (Woodward). Ypresian. Boujniba, Morocco. Odontaspis sp. Tombigbie Formation. Malverne, Arkansas. Ging/ymostoma angolense Dartevelle and Casier. (5 . views). Ypresian. Sidi-Daoui, Morocco. Ging/ymostoma blanckenhorni Stromer. (4 views). Ypresian. Sidi-Bou-Lannour, Morocco. Myliobatis dixoni Agassiz. (Outer and oral views). Ypresian. Khouribga, Morocco.

125. Myliobatis dixoni Agassiz. (Outer and oral views). Ypresian. Sidi-Daoui, Morocco. 126. Myliobatis dixvni. Side pavement denticle-oral view to show design. 127. Myliobatis copeanus. Side pavement denticle-oral view. Similar to M. dixoni, except for its elongated shape.

128. Myliobatis copeanus. Thin section to show internal structure. Aquia Formation. Belve­ dere Beach, Virginia.

129. Myliobatis copeanus. Isolated pavement crusher plate in lateral view. Aquia Formation. Belvedere Beach, Virginia.

130. Ginglymostoma sp. (Oral and outer �iews), Castle Hayne limestone. Warsaw, North Carolina.

32

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127

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34

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132

133

T he Tertiary period: Miocene epoch. Miocene deposits are probably the most abundant of all the fossil sedimentary deposits, with localities throughout the world in every continent. The Miocene again has a transitional sea which covered over the regressive deposits of the earlier Creta­ ceous-Eocene seas. So if care is not taken, material from one deposit can be confused with that from an older deposit and result in confusion of the species discovered. All of the modern forms were present in the Miocene. One particularly monstrous shark, Carcharodon megalodon, would be short-lived but give rise to the modern White shark. These giants were thought to have reached anywhere from 60 to 100 feet in length based on the proportions of their relics, notably their huge 6-or 7-inch teeth. If a shark of this size existed today, navigation on the high seas would be even more perilous, and bathers along the seashore would probably not go near the water at all! The transition from Miocene to the Pliocene saw not much difference in the species. Miocene species progressed to our present day living sharks. 131. Ginglymostoma sp. Same as above. Small drawing to right-is actual size of the tooth. 132. Propristis sc/zweinfurthi Dames. Marianna limestone. Clarke County, Alabama. 133. Propristis sc/zweinfurthi Dames. (3 views). Qasr el Sagha Formation. ( Birket el Qurun). El Fayum, Egypt.

134

35

135

136

137 13-t. Carclwrodon .wlcidens, Carclwrodon angustidens and Carclwrodon mcgalodun. 3 varities

of fossil white shark teeth. Hawthorne Formation. Ashley River phosphate beds. North Charleston, South Carolina. 13S

.

Carclwrodon met:alodon Charlesworth. Pungo River Marl Formation. Beaufort

County,

North Carolina. 136. Carclwrodon megalodun. Lateral tooth view. Hawthorne Formation. Jacksonville, Florida. 137. Carclwrodon megaludun. Posterior tooth (rear upper). Hawthorne Formation. Charles­

ton, South Carolina. 138. Carclwrodon angustidens. Duplin marl. New Bern, North Carolina. 139. Carclwrodon angustidens. Helvetian. La Motte de Cabrieres, France. 140. Noticltllli/S sp. Pungo River Marl Formation. Beaufort County, North Carolina. 141. Heptranchias wulersoni (Notidanus). Temblor Formation. Bakersfield, California. N utidanus primigenius Agassiz. (Upper tooth-lateral). North Carolina. ( .J2. . 143. Notidanus primigcnius. (Symphysial tooth-upper jaw). North Carolina. 144. Notidanu.l· primigenius. (Lower lateral tooth). North Carolina. 14S. Hexanc/111.1 sp. Helvetian. La Motte de Cabrieres, France. 146. La1nna acutissima. Pungo River Marl Formation.

Beaufort County, North Carolina.

147. H emipri.1tis se1Ta Agassiz. (Upper lateral). Pungo River Marl Formation. North Carolina. 148. Hemipristis sam. (Lower anterior). Pungo River Marl Formation. North

Carolina.

149. Uxyrhina (henedeni) crassa Agassiz. Pungo River Marl F ormation. North Carolina. ISO. /sums lwstalis Agassiz. Temblor Formation. Bakersfield, California. lSI. Oxyrhina clesori. Calvert Formation. Scientists Cliffs, Maryland. 152. Oclontaspis sp. (var. hopei). Kirkwood Formation. Neptune, New Jersey. 153. Galeocenlo arcticus Faber. Hawthorne Formation. Kings Bay, Georgia. 154. Galeocerdo contortu.1· (procluctus). Calvert Formation. Plum Beach, Maryland. ISS. Gall'occrdo laticll'ns. Tamiami Formation. New Port Charlotte, Florida. IS6. Gall'oc<'nlo acluncas Agassiz. Pungo J{ivcr Marl Formation. North Carolina.

36

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141

145

144

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147

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149

150

153

154

155 38

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159

161

167

168

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Modern sharks: There isn't an ocean anywhere in the world today where sharks do not exist. -:r:hey have even been found in fresh-water lakes, although this is not at all common smce sharks need salt water for added buoyancy. The tew shark species that live in and near fresh-water are usually aggressive and constantly agitated. Their systems seem to have adapted to their new environment, but they are now practically new species as compared with their oceanic brothers. . For man, the most vexing problem of the oceans is survival in shark-infested waters. Fliers and sailors are especially aware of it. The U.S. Navy has been working for many years to develop a shark repellent, but no truly reliable repellent has been de­ veloped as yet. The commercial use of sharks (thyir liver, skin, etc.) is no longer profitable now that synthetics are economical, so sharks are basically left to their scavenging ways (a most important ecological necessity). Only an occasional fisherman chooses to catch sharks for sport.

4l

180

182

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157. 158. 159. 160.

Galeocerdo aduncas. Thin section through tooth to show internal structure. Carclwrias sp. Calvert Formation. Chesapeake Beach, Maryland. Carclwrias sp. Thin �ection through tooth to show internal structure. Squalus serriculus. Temblor Formation. Bakersfield, Calif. Smaller drawing is actual size

of tooth. 161. Squatina lerichei. Temblor Formation. Oildale, California. 162. Echinorhinus blakei. (2 examples). Pungo River Marl Formation. North Carolina. 163. Centrophorus granulosus. Helvetian. La Motte d'Aigues, France. (From collection of Paul Menut). 164. Squalus cf. blainvillei (Ledoux}. Helvetian. La Motte d'Aigues, France. (From collection of Paul Menut).

42

186

187 43

188 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172'. L73. 174. 175. 176. 177. 178. 179. 180. 181. 182. 183. 184. 185. 186. 187. 188. 189.

44

Alopias sp. (2 views). Pungo River Formation. North Carolina. A/opecias grandis. Hawthorne Formation. Charleston, South Carolina. Pristiop/wrus sp. Rostral tooth of a sawshark. Pungo River Formation. North Carolina. Pliotrema sp. Rostral tooth of a sawshark-serrated. Tortonian. Cape Town Formation.

Milnerton, South Africa. lsurus hastalis Agassiz. Tortonian. Bone Valley Sediments. Brewster, Florida. Ginglymostoma delfortriei Daimeries. Helvetian. Loupian, France. Aetobatus arcuatus Agassiz. Pungo River Marl Formation. North Carolina. Aetobatus rectus. Helvetian. Suffolk, England. Aetobatis sp. An almost complete dentition-oral view. Helvetian. La Motte d'Aigues, France. My/iobatis sp. Tortonian. Cadenet, France. Pristis lathami. Duplin Marl Formation. Tarboro, North Carolina. Cetorhinus parvus. Basking shark gill raker sections. Miocene. Belgium. Negaprion brevirostris (Poey). Section of the jaw of a Lemon shark showing growth of tooth files (at symphysis). Modern. Gulf of Mexico. Carcharodon carcharias Linnaeus. (Oral and outer views of 4 examples). Modern white shark teeth. Atlantic Ocean. Carcharodon carcharias. The modern "Great White Shark" or "Maneater." Carcharodon carcharias. Isolated upper lateral tooth. Modern white shark. Lamna nasus Bonnaterre. Modern Porbeagle shark tooth. Prionace glauca Linnaeus. Modern Blue shark tooth. Sphyma mokarran. Modern Hammerhead shark tooth. Carcharias taurus Rafinesque. Modern Sand shark tooth. Carclzarhinus mi/berti Muller and Henle. Modern Brown or Sandbar shark tooth. Carclzarlzinus obscurus Leseur. Jaws of a Dusky shark. Galeocerdo cuvier (Leseur). Lower jaw section of a Tiger shark. Ginglymostoma cirratum Bonnaterre. Lower jaw of a Nurse shark. Rlzinoptera sp. Upper jaw of a Cow-nose Ray. Pamlico Sound, North Carolina.

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46

Rlzinoptera sp. Lower jaw of no. 189.

Rhinoptera sp. Tail stinger barb from same individual as in number 189. Skate egg capsule. Commonly found washed up along beaches. Copepods: a small animal that attaches itself to the skin of sharks and feeds off of it. Back and front view of the same animal. Magnified 5x. Removed from a Dusky shark from the Atlantic Ocean off Bayshore, N.Y .

1!'---

DORSAL FIN

(RETRACTABLE)

O CCIPITAL CONDYLE

199

LOWER DENTITION

MECKEL'S

Co/lorhynchus copensis Dumeril .

Skull of Chimaeroid (Male) Republic of South Africa 47

200 . l I

,,

Shark hard parts: Dermal ossicles, calcifications, fin spines, cephalic hooks, vertebrae, etc. The hard parts of sharks are rarities; so each specimen is of importance for study of the fossil record. The hard parts have not always been understood. The question is mainly: what part of the shark do they belong to. In the case of dorsal fin spines, cephalic hooks, etc., these large and sometimes ornate lchthyodurolites have been assigned to various fossil shark species. Sometimes the designations are taken away from one species and reassigned to another. Only complete skeletal material will answer the question of which species a spine belongs to . This chapter illustrates some of the isolated hard parts recovered in the fossil record. The following chapter will deal with the whole skeleton, showing where some of these parts fit on the animal.

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194. Dasyatis sp. Skate jaws. Closeup of the dentition and oral and outer views of the jaws. Gulf of Mexico. I

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48

205 195. Squa/us acanthias Linnaeus. Outer and oral views of the jaws with a closeup of the dentition. North Sea, Europe. 196. Clear-nose skate. Jaws in oral and outer view and closeup of the dentition. 197. Pliotrema warreni Regan. 3 examples of a sawshark. False Bay, Republic of South Africa. (Photo courtesy of Michael K. Braun). 198. Callorhynchus capensis Dumeril. Male chimeroid fish. Atlantic Ocean, off South Africa. (Photo courtesy of Michael K. Braun). 199. Callorhynchus capensis Dumeril. Skull of the male "Joseph-fish" from South Africa. 200. Hydrolagus colliei. Modern ratfish (chimeroid). (Male). 201. Physonemus gemmatus. Mississippian. Dorsal fin spine. Specimen is broken through the spine-showing the internal structure. Keokuk limestone. Keswick, Iowa. 202. Plzysonemus gigas. Mississippian. Large dorsal fin spine (or clasper hook). Burlington limestone. Kellogg, Iowa. 203. Ctenacanthus gracillimus. Mississippian. Slender shark dorsal fin spine. Golconda Formation. Anna, Illinois. ·

204. Ctenacanthus sp. Pennsylvanian. Fragment of a dorsal fin spine. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky. 205. Listracanthus lzystrix. Pennsylvanian. An unusual 3-dimensional spine of an unknown shark-like fish. Stanton Formation. Louisville, Nebraska.

49 ·----------

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217

fin spines herein nscribcd to Aster­ usually found so badly worn that all that remains is a trace of the tubercles along the spine. Fig. 218 shows a rather well preserved specimen from New Jersey with the "wart-like" protuberances in cviden..:c. Note:

Dorsal

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206. Petrodus patteliformis McCoy. Pennsylvanian. 5 examples of "button" dermal ossicles of an unknown shark-like fish (probably related to the edestids). Hertha limestone. Stuart, Iowa. 207. Euctenius sp. (Kammplatt). Pennsylvanian. Unknown fossil (variously ascribed to the amphibians (cloacal sieve) and to the shark-like fishes. Upper Freeport Coal, Allegheny Group. Linton, Ohio. 208. Holmesel/a sp. Pennsylvanian. Scattering of denticles of an unknown shark-like fish. Stark

. .

shale. Winterset, Iowa. 209. Holmesella sp. Pennsylvanian. Closeup of two types of denticles referred to an unknown shark-like fish. Stark shale. Papillion, Nebraska. 210. Petrodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Probable dermal denticle of an unknown shark-like fish. Hertha limestone. Stuart, Iowa. 211. Petrodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Thin section of a denticle in three positions; Top transverse cut, middle: horizontal cut through denticle, and bottom: horizontal cut through the base of the denticle. 212. Ctenacanthus sp. Pennsylvanian. Dorsal fin spine. Stanton Formation. Louisville, Neb­ raska. 213. Xenacant/ws compressus. Pennsylvanian. A cast in tar-paper shale of a pleuracanth shark head spine. Lintqn, Ohio. 214. Asteracant/ws omatissi Agassiz. Lower Cretaceous. Patton, Bedfordshire, England.

52

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215. Hybodus reticulatus Agassiz. Jurassic. Complete dorsal fin spine. Lyme Regis, England. (Photo courtesy of Princeton Museum of Natural History).

216. Asteracantlws sp. Cretaceous. Portion of a dorsal fin spine. Navesink Formation. Holm­ del, New Jersey.

II',,

217. lsclzyrlziza mira. Cretaceous. Cartilage calcifications from the rostrum of a sawfish. Cen­

ter: close-up of the tesserae or individual pattern of the calcifications. 'Top: Outer sheath of calcifications. Bottom: internal part of the rostrum. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. 218. Asteracantlzus sp. Cretaceous. Fairly complete anterior portion of a hybodont shark dorsal fin spine. Navesink Formation. Marlboro, New Jersey. (Photo courtesy of How­ ard Lanza.)

,.

219. Rhinoptera sp. Cretaceouc;. Cartilage calcifications of the jaw of a fossil cow-nose ray. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

220. Shark braincase fragment showing the occipital condyle

(spinal column opening to brain). Cretaceous. Species indeterminate, possibly a batoid (ray). Merchantville For­ mation. St. Georges, Delaware. 221. Shark braincase drawing to show position of section illustrated in no. 220. Modern. 222. Scapanorhynclws sp. Cretaceous. Vertebral centrum. Merchantville Formation. St. Georges, Delaware. 223. lschyrhiza mira. Cretaceous. Ganopristine (sawfish) vertebral centrum. Navesink For­ mation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

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Skeletal material, skulls, fins, pectoral girdles, claspers, braincasings, etc.

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This final chapter deals with the rarest of all fossil shark finds: the skeleton and other rarely preserved components, such as fins, tails, sex organs, brain casings, skulls, etc. The chance of finding a complete fossil skeleton of a shark-like fish is astronomical. First of all, the body is cartilaginous, .not bony-which already cuts down the possi­ bility of its being preserved. The burial would have to be rapid with a minimal amount of bacterial decay. The sediment would have to settle down and cover up the dead fish where it lay until the mud became rock. And finally some lucky collector would have to expose it for all the world to see. Whole skeletons have done much to help science answer questions about the fossil shark record. A skeleton showing jaws, braincase, fins, spines, claspers (male shark sex organs), tail, etc. can solve the question of identifying isolated parts of specimens when they are found. Finding a fossilized whole shark can be considered a triumph for any collector.

56

240

224. Squatina sp. Cretaceous. Vertebral centrum of a fossil Angel shark. (3 views). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

225. Rhinoptera sp. Cretaceous. Batoid vertebral centrum. (2 views). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

226. Odontaspis sp. Paleocene. Vertebral centrum. Hornerstown Formation. Medford, New Jersey.

227. Carcharodon megalodon. Miocene. Vertebral centrum. Pungo River Marl Formation. Beaufort County, North Carolina.

228. Asteracallthus sp. Cretaceous. Cephalic hook. (3 views). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey.

57

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246 229. 230. 231. 232.

(Photo courtesy of Field Museum of Natural History)

Ischyodus sp. (?) Cretaceous. Cephalic hooks. (2 views of two separate specimens). l':Javesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Asteracanthus sp. Cretaceous. Cephalic hook. (3 views). Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Myliobatis sp. Miocene. Sting ray barb section (anterior portion). Tamiami Formation. Volusia County, Florida. Sting ray barb. Miocene. Species indeterminate. (3 views). Bone Valley Formation Brewster, Florida. Sting ray barb. Miocene. Species indeterminate. (3 views). Pungo River Marl Forma­ tion. Beaufort County, North Carolina. Trygon sp. Miocene. Dermal scute (ossicle). (2 views) Pungo River Marl Formation. Beaufort County, North Carolina. Skate dermal ossicles-3 varieties. Miocene. Bone Valley Formation. Ft. Pierce, Florida. Skate dermal ossicles. Cretaceous. Species indeterminate. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. Cladoselache fyleri. Devonian. Complete skeleton in dorso-ventral position of the earliest known shark-like fish. Cleveland shales. Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of William J. Hlavin). Cladoselache fyleri. Devonian. Closeup of pectoral fin. Cleveland shale. Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of William J. Hlavin). Cladodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Brain case in shale. Wea shale. Papillion, Nebraska. (Radio­ graph by Dr. D'Amico, New Haven, Conn.) Agassizodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Pectoral fin of an edestid shark. Stark shale. Richfield, Nebraska. Agassizodus variabilis. Pennsylvanian. Complete skeleton of an edestid shark in lateral position in shale. Wea shale. Papillion, Nebraska. Cladodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Shark clasper. Stark shale. Richfield, Nebraska. Agassizodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Anterior portion of an edestid shark showing the eye socket, part of the mouth and the pectoral fin. (See Fig. no. 244 for details) Stark &hale. Papillion, Nebraska. Diagram showing an explanation of Fig. no. 243. a. Eye Socket. b. Jaws. c. Pectoral girdle. d. Metapterygium. e. Pectoral fin. f. Body outline. C/adodus sp. Pennsylvanian. Pectoral girdle. A complete scapulo-coracoid bar which articulates off the pectoral fin of a shark. (Serves the same purpose as a shoulder girdle ·

233. 234. 235. 236. 237.

238. 239. 240. 241. 242. 243.

244. 245.

in a human). Stark shale. Winterset, Iowa. 246.

Bandringa rayi Zangerl. Pennsylvanian. A complete juvenile skeleton of a ctenacanthoid

shark. Essex fauna. Mazon Creek, Illinois. (Photo courtesy of Field Museum of Natural History). 247. Cladodus sp. Pennsylvanian. A complete skeleton of a juvenile shark. Queen Hill shale. Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 248. Xenacanthus declzeni (Goldfuss). A reconstruction of the entire skeleton of a pleura­ canth shark. (After Fritsch, 1890).

59

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Formation. Texas. Plaster cast replica, original in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard. (Photo courtesy of John R. Boreske, Jr.). 250. Xenacanthus declzeni (Goldfuss). Lower Permian. Vertical view of the braincase, jaws, visceral arches, and the pectoral girdles. Bohemia, Czechoslovakia. (Photo courtesy of Jiri Zidek).

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(After Koken, 1907)

63

257 �256

Note: Shark coprolites are distinctive in that they have twisting patterns. This corresponds directly to the action on the fecal matter as it passes through the spiral valve of the intestine on its way to the alimentary canal.

251. Xenacantlzus declzeni (Goldfuss). Lower Permian. Lateral view of the head, jaws, head

252. 253. 254. 255. 256.

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spine, visceral arches, vertebral arches (neurals), and pectoral girdles. Bohemia, Cze­ choslovakia. (Photo courtesy of Jiri Zidek). Xenacantlzus sp. Pennsylvanian. A complete pectoral girdle with partial axis of the fin attached. Nyrany, Czechoslovakia. (Photo courtesy of Jiri Zidek). Hybodus lzauffianus. Jurassic. Skull, jaws, visceral skeleton, neural arches, and partial pectoral girdle of a hybodont shark. Germany. (After Koken, 1907). Hybodus hauffianus. Jurassic. Dorsal fin with fin spine, neural arches, and pectoral fin of a hybodont shark. Germany. (After Koken, 1907). Hybodus hauffianus. Jurassic. Complete skeleton (in two parts to show details.) Ger­ many. (Mter Koken, 1907). Shark coprolite. Cretaceous. Navesink Formation. Holmdel, New Jersey. (Specimen loaned for photography by Emil Babulski). Marlboro, New Jersey. Shark coprolites. Cretaceous. Fossilized fecal pellets. Navesink-Mt. Laurel Formation. Hornerstown, New Jersey.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

:·��:,;

.1-·!:.

Arambourg, Camille. 1941. Le groupe des ganopristines. Bull. Soc. Geol:: 5, X-1. June 20, 1941. pp. 127-147. 2 pls. 12 figs.

1

-

:France.

Arambourg, Camille. 1952. Les vertebres fossiles des gisements de phosphates. (Tunisie, Maroc et Algerie). Notes et Mem. No. 92. Div. Mines & Geol. French Morocco. pp. 1-372, 44 pis. Berman, David S. 1967. Orientation of bradyodont dentition. Jour. Paleo. v. 41, no. 1, pp. 143-146. 2 text-figs. Jan. 1967. Case, Gerard R. 1965. Anaoccurrence of the sawfish,

Onchopristis dun,klei

in the

Upper Cretaceous of Minnesota. Jour. Minn. Acad. Sci., v. 32, no. 3, p. 183. 1 fig. Case, Gerard R. 1967. Fossil shark and fish remains of North America. Private publication, 20 pp. 102 figs. Case, Gerard R. 1968. Fossils Illustrated. Private publication. 32 pp. 186 figs. Case, Gerard R. 1968. A cladodont shark from the Pennsylvanian of Nebraska. Earth Science, v. 21, no. 6, p. 266. 1 fig. Case, Gerard R. 1970. A fossil shark in Nebraska. Bull. Amer. Litt. Soc., v. 6, no. 4, pp. 29-30. 1 fig. Case, Gerard R. 1970. The occurrence of

Petrodus

and other fossil shark remains

in the Pennsylvanian of Iowa. Ann. Iowa. v. 40, no. 6, 3rd ser., pp. 445-449. 2 pls. Case, Gerard R. 1972. Handbook of fossil collecting. Private publication, 64 pp. 145 figs. Case, Gerard R. and Michael K. Braun. Capture of a chimaera in False Bay, South Africa. Bull. Amer. Litt. Soc., v. 7, no. 3, pp. 28-30 & 48. ·2 pls. Fritsch, Anton. 1890. Fauna der Gaskohle und der Kalksteine der Perm-forma­ tion Bohmens. v. 3, no.1, 48 pp. pls. 91-102. Prague. Jaekel, Otto. 1899. Ueber die organisation der petalodonten. Zeitscher d. deutsch. geol. Gesell., v. 51, pp. 258-298. Karpinsky, A. P. 1915.

Helicoprion (H. bessonowi).

pp. 275-291. Figs. 139-153.

Acad. Sci. U.S.S.R. Moscow-Leningrad. Koken, Ernest. 1907. Ueber Hybodus. Geol. und Palaeontol. Abh. Neue Folge Band

V, Heft 4. 4 pis. 5 text-figs. pp. 261-276. McNulty, C. L. Jr. and Bob H. Slaughter. 1962. A new sawfish from the Woodbine Formation (Cretaceous) of Texas. Copeia. no. 4, Dec. 31. pp. 775-777. 1 fig. Newberry, John Strong and A. H. Worthen. 1866. Descriptions of vertebrates. Paleontology. v. II. Geol. Surv. Illinois. Zanger!, Rainer. 1969.

Bandringa rayi.

A new ctenacanthoid shark from the Penn­

sylvanian Essex Fauna of Illinois. Fieldiana: Geology. v. 12, no. 10. March 24, 1969. pp. 157-169. llius. Special photographs for this edition were made by Mr. Paul Menut of Marseille, France. The photographs which Mr. Menut made are as follows: 1, 2, 12, 39, 40, 41, 44, 47, 48, 51, 52, 56, 57, 60, 61, 65, 67, 68, 70, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 90, 94, 95, 96, 98, 99, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, 121, 122, 123, 125, 130, 133, 139, 145, 156, 162, 163, 164, 165, 170, 173, 174, 175, 177, 178, 194, 195, 196, 205, 216, 217, 219, 220, 223, 224, 225, 228, 229, 231' 232, 233, 234, 236, 243, 256.

------·-- ---·--

.

G inglymostoma

cirratum

(above-:-a nurse shark) and Carcharias taurus (be­ low-a sand shark). Photographed at the York Aquarium, Coney Island, New York.

New

·.,

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: This is Mr. Case's fourth publica­ tion on the subj ect of fossils. He has been active as an amateur paleontologist for over a decade. His main research speciality is the evolution of the sharks, skates, rays, sawfishes and their cousins, the chimaeras. The author intends this book to be useful to his fellow collectors. Spe­ cial care has been made to secure the best illustrations possible.

Large shark,

tooth

of

the

Carcharodon

worth. Ashley Carolina.

River

Miocene

giant white Charles­

megalodon phosphate

beds, South


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