FOSSILS SPECIMEN: CHONDRICHTHYES

Fossils are defined as any evidence of prehistoric life. There are two types of fossils: Body Fossils include remains of skeletal bones, shell, carapace, test and teeth. Trace Fossils are clues the organism existed such as foot prints, tracks, burrows and coprolites (fossil dung).

Chondrichthyes means “cartilage fish” is a class that includes sharks, rays, skates, and ratfish. Cartilage (like in your ear and nose) does not preserve well in the fossil record when compared to bone. This is why teeth are the primary fossil representatives for the group. To see my shark models click here and to see my modern shark specimen click here.

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Class: Chondrichthyes – Subclass: Holocephali – Superorder: Paraselachimorpha – Order: Eugeneodontida

(“tooth-whorls” sharks)

Late Devonian to Early Triassic (Olenekian)

Edestus‬ cast in matrix

Carboniferous

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Class: Chondrichthyes – Subclass: Elasmobranchii – Infraclass: Euselachii – Superorder: Selachimorpha – Order: Xenacanthida

(xenacanthid sharks)

Mississippian to Triassic (Norian)

Orthocanthus Coprolite 

Early Permian

Seymour, Texas, United States

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Class: Chondrichthyes – Subclass: Elasmobranchii – Infraclass: Euselachii – Superorder: Selachimorpha – Order: Carcharhiniformes and Lamniformes

(modern sharks)

Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) to Holocene

C. Megalodon Tooth (Cast)

Miocene

Florida, United States

Fossil Shark Teeth

Cretaceous to Cenozoic

North America

Shark Teeth in Conglomerate Matrix

Late Cretaceous

Wyoming, United States

Kingdom: Animalia – Phylum: Chordata – Subphylum: Vertebrata – Class: Chondrichthyes – Subclass: Elasmobranchii – Superorder: Batoidea – Order: Myliobatiformes

(Rays)

Early Jurassic to Holocene

Ray Tooth Plates

Cenozoic

Unnamed Species

(stingray barb)

Eocene

Stone City Formation, Bryan, Texas