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PALAEONTOS 1 Price: non members: 37,10 euros + postage, members: 31,80 euros + postage Reinecke T., Stapf H. & Raisch M., 2001, Die Selachier und Chimären des unteren Meeressandes und Schleichsandes im Mainzer Becken (Alzey- und Stadecken Formation, Rupelium, Unteres Oligocän). 73 textpages, 8 text-figs, 2 tables, 63 plates (text is in German; abstract, description of new species and legends to the plates are also in English) Summary: Oral teeth, gill rakers, caudal stinging spines and tooth plates of the Chondrichthyan fauna (18 shark species, 4 batoids and 1 chimaera) from the Lower Meeressand (Alzey Formation) and Schleichsand (Stadecken Formation), Rupelian, Lower Oligocene of the Mainz Basin (Germany) are figured and partly redescribed. One species is new to science: Woellsteinia oligocaena n.g. n.sp. (Galeomorphii, Lamniformes, Mitsukurinidae). The shark Lamiostoma gracilis is referred to the genus Isurolamna. The
elasmobranch assemblages at most localities of the Alzey Formation are
dominated by Carcharias acutissimus (Agassiz, 1844); Carcharias
cuspidatus (Agassiz, 1844); Physogaleus latus (Storms,
1894); Squatina angeloides Van Beneden, 1873; Mytliobatis (sensu
lato) sp. 2; Notorynchus primigenius (Agassiz, 1843) and
the filter feeder Cetorhinus parvus Leriche, 1908. Much less
common, but almost constantly present are Squalus alsaticus
(Andreae, 1892); Isurolamna gracilis (Le Hon, 1871); Carcharhinus
elongatus (Leriche, 1910); Dasyatis aff. delfortrei Cappetta,
1970; Rhinoptera sp. and three scyliorhinid species. The
rarity or even apparant absence of Scyliorhinus, Dasyatis
and Squalus at some localities may be biased by the sampling
methods and the small size of their teeth. Large pelagic species of the
Rupelian, such as Carcharocles angustidens (Agassiz, 1843) and Parotodus
benedeni (Le Hon, 1871), as well as Alopias exigua (Probst,
1879); Galeorhinus sp.; Galeocerdo aduncus Agassiz,
1843; Raja sp. and the mitsukurinid shark Woellsteinia
oligocaena n.g. n.sp. are very uncommon. Three species occurring in
the North Sea Basin, Lethenia vandenbroecki (Winkler, 1880); Pristiophorus
rupeliensis Steurbaut & Herman, 1978 and the mobulid ray Plinthicus
kruibekensis Bor, 1990 have not been found in the Mainz Basin thus
far. The apparent absence of Woelsteinia oligocaena in the
North Sea Basin and the presence of a closely related species in the
Middle to Late Eocene of Kazakhstan is in line with Weiler’s
(1928) conclusion that the elasmobranch fauna of the Rupelian in the
Mainz Basin was strongly influenced by the Tethyan realm. ORDER |
