Two new species of Mennerotodus Zhelezko, 1994 (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes: Odontaspididae), from the Paleogene of the southeastern United States

Mennerotodus Zhelezko, 1994, is an extinct lamniform shark known to occur in Paleogene strata of the Tethyan region of Asia and Europe. Although only a single species has been named, multiple subspecies have been erected and used as biostratigraphic tools in Asia. The genus has not been reported wit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Fossil record 2020-07, Vol.23 (2), p.117-140
Main Authors: Cicimurri, David J., Ebersole, Jun A., Martin, George
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Clinching
Current distribution
Eocene
Marine fishes
Museums
New species
Palaeocene
Paleocene
Paleogene
Stratigraphy
Teeth
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Description
Summary:Mennerotodus Zhelezko, 1994, is an extinct lamniform shark known to occur in Paleogene strata of the Tethyan region of Asia and Europe. Although only a single species has been named, multiple subspecies have been erected and used as biostratigraphic tools in Asia. The genus has not been reported with confidence outside of the Tethyan region, but we have identified two new species of Mennerotodus from Paleogene deposits of the southeastern United States. Mennerotodus mackayi sp. nov. is described by teeth occurring in the lower Paleocene (Danian Stage) Pine Barren Member of the Clayton Formation of southern Alabama. A middle Eocene (Bartonian) species, Mennerotodus parmleyi sp. nov., is based on material occurring in the Clinchfield Formation in central Georgia. The early Paleocene record could indicate a North American origin for Mennerotodus relatively soon after the K–Pg event, with subsequent radiation to other parts of the world. The genus is likely more widely distributed than is currently known, but teeth can easily be overlooked due to their similarity to other taxa.
ISSN:2193-0074
2193-0066
2193-0074
DOI:10.5194/fr-23-117-2020