The Italian record of the Cretaceous shark, Ptychodus latissimus Agassiz, 1835 (Chondrichthyes; Elasmobranchii)

Author:

Amadori Manuel1ORCID,Amalfitano Jacopo2,Giusberti Luca2ORCID,Fornaciari Eliana2,Carnevale Giorgio3,Kriwet Juergen1ORCID

Affiliation:

1. University of Vienna, Department of Paleontology, Vienna, Austria

2. Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università degli Studi di Padova, Padova, Italy

3. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy

Abstract

Associated and isolated teeth of the extinct elasmobranch Ptychodus latissimus Agassiz, 1835 from the Upper Cretaceous Scaglia Rossa pelagic limestone of northern Italy are described and discussed here in detail for the first time. The dentition of this widely distributed species consists of low-crowned molariform teeth that exhibit marked and strong occlusal ornamentations suitable for crushing hard-shelled prey. The associated tooth sets and isolated teeth analyzed here are heterogeneous in size and crown outline, but unambiguously belong to a single species. Re-examination of this Italian material consisting of ca. 30 specimens mostly coming from historical collections allows for a rigorous assessment of the intraspecific variability of P. latissimus, including the identification of three different tooth “morphotypes” based on their positions within the jaws. The relatively flat crowns and occlusal sharp and thick ridges indicate a high adaptation for crushing hard-shelled prey in P. latissimus indicating that the durophagous adaptations of this species were certainly more pronounced than in all other species of Ptychodus. We hypothesize that P. latissimus was a third-level predator occupying habitats with abundant thick-shelled prey, such as inoceramid bivalves and ammonites.

Funder

University of Padova

OeAD-GmbH/ICM

Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research

University of Vienna

Publisher

PeerJ

Subject

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology,General Medicine,General Neuroscience

Reference122 articles.

1. Verzeichniss der in der Peträfakten-Sammlung des vaterländischen Museums befindlichen versteinerten Fische;Agassiz;Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft des Vaterländischen Museums in Böhmen,1834

2. Rapport sur les poissons fossiles découverts depuis la publication de la troisième livraison;Agassiz,1835

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