The heterodonty in euselachian sharks from the Pennsylvanian of Nebraska

Abstract

Among the rich material of chondrichthyan microremains from the Indian Cave Sandstone (Upper Pennsylvanian, Gzhelian) near Peru, Nebraska, USA, housed at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, there occur almost sixty teeth representing Euselachii. They belong to at least seven species, presenting various types of heterodonty. Two new species are described, viz. Ossianodus nebraskensis gen. et sp. nov., whose dentition is similar to that of certain Mesozoic hybodonts, and Sphenacanthus tenuis sp. nov. with minute teeth of protacrodont design. Most of the euselachian teeth served to crush or grind prey, and some had the potential to clutch, but cutting teeth are absent from the fauna