Acta Palaeontologica Polonica

Devonian phoebodont shark teeth

Michal Ginter and Alexander Ivanov

Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 37 (1), 1992: 55-75

Shark teeth of the phoebodont type are the most common and diverse group of Upper Devonian ichthyoliths in the pelagic facies of the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland), South Urals and Timan (Russia). They were also found in the Givetian of Kuznetsk Basin (western Siberia). The morphology and function of tooth apparatus of Phoebodus was possibly similar to that of the recent shark Chlamydoselachus anguineus. A significant loss of diversity and relative productivity has been observed among the phoebodonts in the earliest Famennian. A new genus, Omalodus gen. n., and three new species of Phoebodus, Ph. bifurcatus sp. n., Ph. fastigatus sp. n. and Ph. turnerae sp. n. are proposed.

Key words: sharks, phoebodonts, teeth, morphology, biostratigraphy, Devonian, Poland, Russia.


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