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Vascular structure of the earliest shark teeth

Martínez-Pérez C., Martín-Lazaro A., Ferrón H. G., Kirstein M., Donoghue P. C. J., Botella H.

Acta Geologica Polonica

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2018

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Vol. 68, no. 3

457--465

EN

Here we use synchrotron tomography to characterise dental vasculature in the oldest known tooth-bearing sharks, Leonodus carlsi Mader, 1986 and Celtiberina maderi Wang, 1993. Three dimensional reconstruction of the vascular system and microstructure of both taxa revealed a complex and dense network of canals, including horizontal, ascending and secondary bifurcated canals, as well as histological features consistent with an osteodont histotype. However, L. carlsi and C. maderi also exhibit significant morphological differences, showing Leonodus a typical diplodont tooth morphology with a linguo-labially elongated base, that contrast with Celtiberina’s teeth that show a single conical cusp curved lingually with a week developed flat base mesio-distally extended, perhaps reflecting distant relationship. These data are compatible with a pre-Devonian diversification of the two main tooth types traditionally recognised in Palaeozoic sharks (i.e., “cladodont” vs “diplodont”). Finally, our data demonstrate that existing dental classification schemes based on styles of vascularisation are over-simplified, especially when Palaeozoic taxa are considered.

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Orthacanthus platypternus (Cope, 1883) (Chondrichthyes: Xenacanthiformes) teeth and other isolated vertebrate remains from a single horizon in the early Permian (Artinskian) Craddock Bonebed, lower Clear Fork Group, Baylor County, Texas, USA

Johnson G. D.

Acta Geologica Polonica

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2018

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Vol. 68, no. 3

421--436

EN

An unusual 6–8 cm layer of prismatic cartilage and matrix containing some 8,800 teeth, coprolites, incomplete occipital spines, and denticles of Orthacanthus platypternus (Cope, 1883) occurs in the lower Permian (Artinskian) Craddock Bonebed in Texas, USA. It is the only species of shark present in the Clear Fork Group except for three worn Xenacanthus Beyrich, 1848 occipital spine fragments and two teeth of ?Lissodus (Polyacrodus) zideki (Johnson, 1981) (Hybodontoidei), both being the first occurrences in this unit. Analysis of measurements of teeth with complete bases randomly selected from 3,050 initially available teeth failed to reveal the presence of sexual dimorphism or the discrete presence of juveniles as expected, based on an independent study which identified the presence of Orthacanthus juvenile occipital spines. A few highly symmetrical small teeth are present, which had not been previously observed in the Texas lower Permian. They may be symphyseals and restricted only to juveniles. Other unusual teeth include germinal teeth and deformed teeth, both of which occur in the Clear Fork and underlying Wichita groups. One tooth displays an apparent example of the equivalent of an “enamel pearl” on one of its cusps. The most unusual teeth are those that appear to have undergone various stages of resorption. Only the lingual margin of the base is affected in which the apical button is resorbed to varying degrees until only the labial margin with the basal tubercle and the three cusps are all that remain. If the teeth were undergoing resorption, then the perplexing problem is why the apical button is resorbed and not the superjacent basal tubercle. Other vertebrate remains include palaeoniscoid scales and teeth and unidentified tetrapod bone fragments, jaw fragments, and teeth. Rare fragments of bones (scales?) bear a “comb edge” which have not been previously observed in the Texas lower Permian.

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A revision of Campyloprion Eastman, 1902 (Chondrichthyes, Helicoprionidae), including new occurrences from the Upper Pennsylvanian of New Mexico and Texas, USA

Itano W. M., Lucas S. G.

Acta Geologica Polonica

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2018

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Vol. 68, no. 3

403--419

EN

Campyloprion Eastman, 1902 is a chondrichthyan having an arched symphyseal tooth whorl similar to that of Helicoprion Karpinsky, 1899, but less tightly coiled. The holotype of Campyloprion annectans Eastman, 1902, the type species of Campyloprion, is of unknown provenance, but is presumed to be from the Pennsylvanian of North America. Campyloprion ivanovi (Karpinsky, 1922) has been described from the Gzhelian of Russia. A partial symphyseal tooth whorl, designated as Campyloprion cf. C. ivanovi, is reported from the Missourian Tinajas Member of the Atrasado Formation of Socorro County, New Mexico, USA. Partial tooth whorls from the Virgilian Finis Shale and Jacksboro Limestone Members of the Graham Formation of northern Texas, USA, are designated as Campyloprion sp. Two partial tooth whorls from the Gzhelian of Russia that were previously referred to C. ivanovi are designated as Campyloprion cf. C. annectans. The age of Toxoprion lecontei (Dean, 1898), from Nevada, USA, is corrected from the Carboniferous to the early Permian. An alternative interpretation of the holotype of T. lecontei is presented, resulting in a reversal of its anterior-to-posterior orientation. The genera Helicoprion, Campyloprion, and Shaktauites Tchuvashov, 2001 can be distinguished by their different spiral angles.

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A preliminary note of egg-case oviparity in a Devonian placoderm fish

Carr R. K., Jackson G.

Acta Geologica Polonica

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2018

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Vol. 68, no. 3

381--389

EN

Six enigmatic fossils from the Famennian (Devonian) Cleveland Shale in Ohio, U.S.A., are interpreted here as arthrodiran (Placodermi) egg cases. Recognition as egg cases is confirmed based on the observation of layered collagen fibers. The presence of a tuberculated bone fragment preserved within one case confirms a vertebrate source. The nature of the tubercles and the unique morphology of the egg cases supports the interpretation of an arthrodiran source. Reports of Devonian egg cases are limited to either assumed chondrichthyan producers or a putative ‘egg sac’ with a morphology atypical for any vertebrate. The Cleveland Shale egg cases thus represent the first record for a non-chondrichthyan producer. Among placoderms, behaviors of a pelagic life style with obligate nesting sites, reef fishes with live birth, and estuarine and fluvial nurseries, along with eggcase oviparity testifies to the diversity of reproductive strategies. As with modern fishes these strategies may be ecologically driven and the derived and variable reproductive biology of extant chondrichthyans is actually a primitive condition among gnathostomes. One consequence of the diversity of reproductive strategies (dependent on the topology of relationships) is the independent origin of internal fertilization within placoderms, possibly suggesting external fertilization as the primitive gnathostome reproductive mode.