What Are You Going to Do to Get More Involved with Either the CMM Or the Fossil Club?

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

What Are You Going to Do to Get More Involved with Either the CMM Or the Fossil Club? • News from the CMM Paleontology Department • Field Trip Report .- I Calvert Bed 12 described • Minutes of March meeting The Newsletter of Calvert Marine Museum Fossil Club The Volume 11-Number. 2 May 2001 Whnle Number 55 What are you going to do to get more involved with either the CMM or the Fossil Club? the Calvert Marine Museum's upcoming elected positions include: President, Vice• Sirenian (sea cow and mermaid) Exhibit. President, Treasurer, and Secretary. This information will now go to our Exhibits Department so they can work their The Field Trip Coordinator, the usual design and fabrication magic! Editor of the Ecphora, and the Membership Coordinator are appointed by the Curator of If you are interested in displaying Paleontology some of your shark tooth fossils for SHARKFEAST (Calvert Marine Museum, An informal survey of those who Saturday, July 21s~ please let me know are presently serving would seem to (410.326-2042 ext. 28). For this event, we indicate that the majority is happy to welcome displays that include shark teeth continue in their present capacity. of any kind. (Note: The Museum is no However, the nominating committee, in all longer able to use the term "SharkFest", as its wisdom, recognizes that it would not be it is r,registered name h" Florida! For lack fair to exclude other club members from of imagination, I have used the term experiencing the thrill of serving in either Please higWight Saturday, June SHARKFEAST, but this wi1llikely change. an elected or appointed office. How could 9th on your calendars. Beginning at Still the same fun-filled shark day!) we limit such opportunity to only a few 12:3Opm, we will have our next fossil club members. Why not broaden the horizons of meetinglshow-and-tell, at which time we To officially mark the opening or others in the club by offering them this will elect the Club's Officers for 2001• our new exhibit on the origin and evolution once-in-a-lifetime chance ... swing the doors 2002. In addition to the aforementioned, of whales and dolphins, Dr. Mark Uhen wide open! Why not apprentice with the our guest, Dr. Robert Holmes from the will give a public lecture on Saturday, best, before its too late? Got the urge, call Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa, September 22nd on that very subject. Much now .. .410-326-2042 ext 28. will speak on how he became interested in of Dr. Uhen's research centers on the paleontology. Then at 2:30pm, Dr. Holmes anatomy of the earliest cetaceans. Ifby Saturday, June 9th, you (the will deliver a free public lecture on a new aspiring new candidate) have not made homed (Ceratopsian) dinosaur from Stephen Godfrey your wishes known to at least one member Alberta, Canada. Included please fmd a of the nominating committee, please come copy of the lecture announcement! prepared to present your qualifications (i.e. raise your hand) and share the glory. Christy Visaggi will be at the Calvert Marine Museum for eight weeks And you think nothing good ever happens this summer as a research intern studying, to you ... Upebming Events among other things, the distribution of shark teeth collected from beaches versus In accordance with the By Laws from within Miocene-age sediments of the CMM Fossil Club, the nominating June 6, 2001 Calvert Marine Museum exposed along the western shore of the committee (composed of Pam Platt, Chery~ Fossil Club Meeting - followed by Chesapeake Bay. Snelson, and Stephen Godfrey) will present lecture. At CMM -Solomons, Maryland the candidates for the four elected offices -----.. I have completed the text and within the club at our next club meeting, .,.,atheredthe vast majority of the Saturday June 9th, 2001. The member- illustrations and artifacts to be included in REPORTS ON RECENT FIELD TRIPS Willows. On Saturday, March 10, a cheerful group of fifteen members gathered at this Calvert Formation site on thfr Bay, to launch the new collecting season. We bundled up and set out along the beach, braving the chilly winds ane' waves to see what we could find. The cliffs were quite productive that day, and everyone left with at least one treasure. The finds included eight C megalodon teeth (two were posteriors), lots of nice Hemipristis sp., Isurus sp., Notorynchus sp., Squatina sp., and hammerhead sharks teeth, and porpoise teeth. Porpoise vertebrae, periotic bones, tympanic bullas, a sea cow vertebra, ray teeth, a fish jaw, and numerous invertebrates were also found. We are very grateful that Mr. Hammond Hobbs allowed us to access this wonderful Miocene site, again. Martin Marietta Rocky Point Quarry, New Hanover Co., NC. Fourteen members gathered at the mine on Friday morning, March 30, thrilled to escape the winter chill up North and looking forward to finding some interesting Eocene, Castle Hayne Formation material, for which this site is well known. Upon disembarking at a convenient parking area within the quarry, the collectors scattered throughout the mine to search the hilly terrain for the rest of the day. The group found about ten Carcharocles auriculatis teeth (several of them were nearly 4"), a huge fish spine (Cylindracanthus sp.) fragment, other sharks teeth including Carcharhinus gibbesi and Isurus praecursor, shark and fish vertebrae, an archaeocete whale bone, tons of echinoderms, several crab carapaces, and cephalopod chamber casts. PCS Phosphate Mine, Aurora, NC. On Saturday, March 31, thirty very enthusiastic collectors gathered in the old parking lot to prepare for the big day we have looked forward to for several years now. We were thrilled that "Lee Creek" was open to collecting, again, as we crowded onto the old, familiar, dusty PCS Phosphate Mine bus. Candace Holliday did a wonderful job driving the bus and organizing our large group, and we appreciate her efforts immensely. The new collecting area was in stark contrast to that which we were used to, consisting of extremely steep hills and much less weathered matrix than in previous years. We were fortunate that day that the thunderstorms, rumbling in the distance, stayed away so that we could collect during the entire 6 hours allotted. It sprinkled a few times, but overall, the weather was fine, especially when one considers how cold it was back home. ~ -~...... _.~-'"- The finds that day included lots of fish mouthplates, vertebrae, whale bones, sharks teeth (including Echinorhinus blakei and Notorynchus sp), atleast two C megalodon teeth (one 5"), a beautiful double ray dermal scute, a "swollen" fish vertebra, and lot of other vertebrate and invertebrate specimens. We are very appreciative that the mine operators allowed us to resume collecting in this prolific Miocene and Pliocene site. We particularly thank Curtis Ormand, for his time and efforts to coordinate our visit. Parkers Creek, Warrior's Rest Sanctuary. There were 16 participants for this fieldtrip, held on Saturday, April 7. This Miocene site north of the Calvert Marine Museum, along the Scientist's Cliffs, is famous for producing abundant invertebrate and invertebrate material. We had a very enjoyable day, although there was still a winter chill in the air. Everyone found several nice specimens, including a 2 ~" crocodile tooth, several small C megalodon teeth including a posterior, many small sharks teeth, vertebrae and a skull fragment. After the Eeldtrip, most of the group met at Adams Rib, to have some dinner and to swap stories about our recent fossil expeditions. We thank Stephen Godfrey for his assistance in obtaining permission for our group to visit this site. - Plum Point. Martin Meyer met nineteen members at the bowling alley on Saturday morning, April 21, to lead us to this excellent collecting site on the Bay. It was no small task, including finding places for all of us to park. In spite of the wind and waves that day, there were a large number of good "Ends", including a seal tooth, a horse tooth, porpoise teeth, sharks teeth (several small C megalodon, abundant Notorynchus sp., Isurus sp., Hemipristis sp., tiger, etc.), ray dermal scutes, fish teeth and mouthplates, a whale tooth, three ear bones, fish coprolite, ray mouthplate fragments and a stinger barb, turtle shell fragments, crab claws, a colonial pipestem and a "nice blue-gre~n rock". We had a great time! Thank you again, Martin Meyer, for your time and efforts and allowing us to visit Plum Point. Silurian Coral Reefs and Swopes Pit. May 12. This trip was cancelled because no one called in. We will offer this trip _____~gain in July, as several people expressed interest in visiting these sites, but were unable to attend due to scheduling onflicts. UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS AND EVENTS, SUMMER 2001 Please remember to call in for yourself and family members (spouse and children of the member), or for one other club member, only, on the date and time indicated. The participants must be current members of both the fossil club and the Calvert Marine Museum. For information about club membership, contact Cheryl Snelson. The numbers of participants for trips are often limited, so if you find out that you won't be able to attend after calling in, please contact Kathy immediately, so she can contact those on the waiting list. Information on directions, lodging, meeting times and meeting places will be provided at the call-in. June 9, 2001, Saturday. 12:30 pm. Fossil Club Meeting. Activities to be determined. June 23, Saturday. Big Brook. Cretaceous. Near Freehold, NJ. Screen for Cretaceous shark teeth (Squalicorax, Scapanorhynchus, Cretolamna, and several species of Odontaspids), belemnites, fish teeth (Enchodus, Edaphodon, Ischyrhiza, Anomaeodus), ray teeth, mosasaur teeth and crab claws. Occasionally, dinosaur teeth, plesiosaur teeth and vertebrae, and ammonites have been found.
Recommended publications
  • The Shark-Toothed Dolphin Squalodon Cetacea
    Carnets Geol. 20 (2) E-ISSN 1634-0744 DOI 10.4267/2042/70716 The shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the remarkable Montagna della Majella marine vertebrate assemblage (Bolognano Formation, central Italy) Alberto COLLARETA 1 Andrea DI CENCIO 2 Renato RICCI 3 Giovanni BIANUCCI 4 Abstract: The extinct family Squalodontidae consists of heterodont, medium-sized odontocetes, featu- ring a long rostrum that houses large, procumbent incisors and heavily ornamented postcanine teeth carrying accessory denticles, hence their vernacular name, "shark-toothed dolphins". These longirostri- ne toothed whales are often seen as bridging the anatomical gap between archaic Oligocene odontoce- tes and their late Miocene to Holocene relatives. Possibly among the major marine predators of their ti- me, the shark-toothed dolphins are important components of several lower Miocene marine-mammal assemblages from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean/Paratethysian realms. In the present work, a partial skull of Squalodontidae is described from the strata of the Bolognano Formation cropping out in the northeastern sector of the Montagna della Majella massif (Abruzzo, central Italy), which has pre- viously yielded a rich lower Miocene marine-vertebrate assemblage, including eleven taxa of elasmo- branchs as well as subordinate teleosts and very fragmentary remains of marine reptiles and mam- mals. The specimen consists of the anterodorsal portion of a rostrum, preserving parts of both pre- maxillae and left maxilla, and the anteriormost seven upper left teeth. This partial skull is here identi- fied as belonging to the genus Squalodon, whose presence in the Montagna della Majella vertebrate assemblage had already been tentatively proposed on the basis of two fragmentary teeth.
    [Show full text]
  • AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Tnui Amermican MUSZUM W Number 632 Near York Cityratt1ral Historay June 9, 1933
    AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Published by Tnui AmERMICAN MUSZUM W Number 632 Near York CityRATt1RAL HisToRay June 9, 1933 56.9, 735 G: 14.71, 4 A SKULL AND MANDIBLE OF GIRAFFOKERYX PUNJABIENSIS PILGRIM By EDWIN H. COLBERT The genus Giraffokeryx was founded by Dr. G. E. Pilgrim to desig- nate a primitive Miocene giraffe from the lower Siwalik beds of northern India. Doctor Pilgrim, in a series of papers,' described Giraffokeryx on the basis of fragmental and scattered dentitions.. Naturally, Pilgrim's knowledge of the genus was rather incomplete, and he was unable tQ formulate any opinions as to the structure.of the skull or mandible. An almost complete skull, found in the northern Punjab in 1922 by Mr. Barnum Brown of the American Museum, proves to be that of Giraffokeryx, and it exhibits such striking and unusual characters that a separate description of it has seemed necessary. This skull, together with numerous teeth and a lower. jaw, gives us. a very good comprehen- sion of the genus which forms the subject.of this paper. The drawings of the skull were made by John. C. Germann, and the remaining ones were done by Margaret Matthew. MATERIAL DESCRIBED Only the material referred to in this description will here be listed. There' are a great many specimens of Gir'affokeryx in the American'Mu- seum collection, but since 'most of them are'teeth, they will not be considered at this time. A subsequent paper, dealing with the American Museum Siwalik collection in detail, wtyill contain a complete list of the Giraffokeryx material.
    [Show full text]
  • 4. Palaeontology
    Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2015 Palaeontology Klug, Christian ; Scheyer, Torsten M ; Cavin, Lionel Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-113739 Conference or Workshop Item Presentation Originally published at: Klug, Christian; Scheyer, Torsten M; Cavin, Lionel (2015). Palaeontology. In: Swiss Geoscience Meeting, Basel, 20 November 2015 - 21 November 2015. 136 4. Palaeontology Christian Klug, Torsten Scheyer, Lionel Cavin Schweizerische Paläontologische Gesellschaft, Kommission des Schweizerischen Paläontologischen Abhandlungen (KSPA) Symposium 4: Palaeontology TALKS: 4.1 Aguirre-Fernández G., Jost J.: Re-evaluation of the fossil cetaceans from Switzerland 4.2 Costeur L., Mennecart B., Schmutz S., Métais G.: Palaeomeryx (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) and the giraffes, data from the ear region 4.3 Foth C., Hedrick B.P., Ezcurra M.D.: Ontogenetic variation and heterochronic processes in the cranial evolution of early saurischians 4.4 Frey L., Rücklin M., Kindlimann R., Klug C.: Alpha diversity and palaeoecology of a Late Devonian Fossillagerstätte from Morocco and its exceptionally preserved fish fauna 4.5 Joyce W.G., Rabi M.: A Revised Global Biogeography of Turtles 4.6 Klug C., Frey L., Rücklin M.: A Famennian Fossillagerstätte in the eastern Anti-Atlas of Morocco: its fauna and taphonomy 4.7 Leder R.M.: Morphometric analysis of teeth of fossil and recent carcharhinid selachiens
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings of the United States National Museum
    DESCRIPTION OF TWO SQUALODONTS RECENTLY DIS- COVERED IN THE CALVERT CLIFFS, ^LVRYLAND; AND NOTES ON THE SHARK-TOOTHED CETACEANS. By Remington Kellogg, Of the Bureau of Biological Survey, United States Departynent of Agriculture. INTRODUCTION. When the study of paleontology was less advanced than it is at present, any announcement of the discovery of prehistoric animals unlike the living indigenous fauna was usually received with some suspicion. In spite of this distrust, many attempts were made by the early writers to explain the presence of fossil remains of marine mammals in strata above the sea level or at some distance from the seashore. In one of these treatises ' is found what is, apparently, the first notice of the occurrence of fossil remains referable to shark- toothed cetaceans. The author of this work figures a fragment of a mandible, obtained from the tufa of Malta, which possesses three serrate double-rooted molar teeth. Squalodonts as such were first brought to the attention of ]mleon- tologists in 1840, by J. P. S. Grateloup, ' a French naturalist primarily interested in marine invertebrates. In the original description of Squalodon, Grateloup held the view that this rostral fragment from Leognan, France, belonged to some large saurian related to Iguanodon. Following the anouncement of this discovery. Von Meyer ^ called at- tention to the teeth of this fossil, and concluded that the specimen was referable to some flesh-eating cetacean. A year later, Grateloup* concurred in this opinion. One other specimen should be mentioned in this connection, but, unfortunately, its relationships are quite uncer- tain. This specimen consists of a single tooth which was thought to bear resemblance to some pinniped by Von Meyer ^ and named Pachy- odon mirahilis.
    [Show full text]
  • Whale Evolution: a Whale of a Tale
    Creation Research Society Quarterly 2012. 49:122–134. 122 Creation Research Society Quarterly Whale Evolution: A Whale of a Tale Jerry Bergman* Abstract review of the evolution of whales from terrestrial land animals finds A that the evidence used to support the current theory is either wrong or very questionable. A focus is on the hip bone and fetal teeth evidence because they are commonly used as proof for the land mammal-to-whale evolution theory. The putative fossil evidence for whale evolution from terrestrial animals is also evaluated, concluding that the examples used are likely all extinct mammals and not transitional forms. Introduction be only about 20 feet long, but baleen A major problem has been deter- The term “whale” is a common noun and blue whales can grow up to 100 feet mining which terrestrial animal whales that can refer to all marine mammals long. Toothed whales are, on average, evolved from. Charles Darwin proposed called cetaceans (members of order smaller then baleen whales, ranging one of the first theories of whale evolu- cetacea), including dolphins and por- from 3 to 32 feet long, although most tion, suggesting they evolved from bears. poises. In this paper the term “whales” are from 10 to 30 feet long. Blue whales He wrote, “I can see no difficulty in a excludes both dolphins and porpoises. can weigh up to 150 tons. race of bears being rendered, by natural Classification of whales divides them selection, more and more aquatic in into two groups; toothed whales and their structure and habits, with larger baleen whales, the latter of which use The Origin of Whales and larger mouths, till a creature was large brush-like structures to filter food The evolution of whales is one of the produced as monstrous as a whale” from the ocean.
    [Show full text]
  • New Remains of Primitive Ruminants from Thailand: Evidence of the Early
    ZSC071.fm Page 231 Thursday, September 13, 2001 6:12 PM New0Blackwell Science, Ltd remains of primitive ruminants from Thailand: evidence of the early evolution of the Ruminantia in Asia GRÉGOIRE MÉTAIS, YAOWALAK CHAIMANEE, JEAN-JACQUES JAEGER & STÉPHANE DUCROCQ Accepted: 23 June 2001 Métais, G., Chaimanee, Y., Jaeger, J.-J. & Ducrocq S. (2001). New remains of primitive rumi- nants from Thailand: evidence of the early evolution of the Ruminantia in Asia. — Zoologica Scripta, 30, 231–248. A new tragulid, Archaeotragulus krabiensis, gen. n. et sp. n., is described from the late Eocene Krabi Basin (south Thailand). It represents the oldest occurrence of the family which was pre- viously unknown prior to the Miocene. Archaeotragulus displays a mixture of primitive and derived characters, together with the M structure on the trigonid, which appears to be the main dental autapomorphy of the family. We also report the occurrence at Krabi of a new Lophiomerycid, Krabimeryx primitivus, gen. n. et sp. n., which displays affinities with Chinese representatives of the family, particularly Lophiomeryx. The familial status of Iberomeryx is dis- cussed and a set of characters is proposed to define both Tragulidae and Lophiomerycidae. Results of phylogenetic analysis show that tragulids are monophyletic and appear nested within the lophiomerycids. The occurrence of Tragulidae and Lophiomerycidae in the upper Eocene of south-east Asia enhances the hypothesis that ruminants originated in Asia, but it also challenges the taxonomic status of traguloids within the Ruminantia. Grégoire Métais, Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, UMR 5554 CNRS, Case 064, Université de Montpellier II, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France.
    [Show full text]
  • Miocene Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Suwannee River Basin of North Florida and South Georgia
    MIOCENE PALEONTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER BASIN OF NORTH FLORIDA AND SOUTH GEORGIA SOUTHEASTERN GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Guidebook Number 30 October 7, 1989 MIOCENE PALEONTOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER BASIN OF NORTH FLORIDA AND SOUTH GEORGIA Compiled and edit e d by GARY S . MORGAN GUIDEBOOK NUMBER 30 A Guidebook for the Annual Field Trip of the Southeastern Geological Society October 7, 1989 Published by the Southeastern Geological Society P. 0 . Box 1634 Tallahassee, Florida 32303 TABLE OF CONTENTS Map of field trip area ...... ... ................................... 1 Road log . ....................................... ..... ..... ... .... 2 Preface . .................. ....................................... 4 The lithostratigraphy of the sediments exposed along the Suwannee River in the vicinity of White Springs by Thomas M. scott ........................................... 6 Fossil invertebrates from the banks of the Suwannee River at White Springs, Florida by Roger W. Portell ...... ......................... ......... 14 Miocene vertebrate faunas from the Suwannee River Basin of North Florida and South Georgia by Gary s. Morgan .................................. ........ 2 6 Fossil sirenians from the Suwannee River, Florida and Georgia by Daryl P. Damning . .................................... .... 54 1 HAMIL TON CO. MAP OF FIELD TRIP AREA 2 ROAD LOG Total Mileage from Reference Points Mileage Last Point 0.0 0.0 Begin at Holiday Inn, Lake City, intersection of I-75 and US 90. 7.3 7.3 Pass under I-10. 12 . 6 5.3 Turn right (east) on SR 136. 15.8 3 . 2 SR 136 Bridge over Suwannee River. 16.0 0.2 Turn left (west) on us 41. 19 . 5 3 . 5 Turn right (northeast) on CR 137. 23.1 3.6 On right-main office of Occidental Chemical Corporation.
    [Show full text]
  • Introduction and Bibliography
    Downloaded from http://sp.lyellcollection.org/ by guest on October 3, 2021 Introduction and bibliography MIKE SMITH*, ZERINA JOHANSON, PAUL M. BARRETT & M. RICHTER Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK *Corresponding author (e-mail: [email protected]) Arthur Smith Woodward (1864–1944) was ac- Wegener was proposing his theory of continental knowledged as the world’s foremost authority on drift. It would be almost half a century before fossil fishes during his lifetime and made impor- his theory gained widespread acceptance. Hallam tant contributions to the entire field of vertebrate (1983, p. 135) wrote in Great Geological Contro- palaeontology. He was a dedicated public servant, versies that ‘The American palaeontologist G. G. spending his whole career at the British Museum Simpson noted in 1943 the near unanimity of (Natural History) (now the Natural History Museum, palaeontologists against Wegener’s ideas’. Smith NHM) in London. He served on the council and as Woodward certainly fell into this camp but was president of many of the important scientific socie- more inclined to note that no certainty could yet be ties and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society attached to the palaeontological evidence (Wood- in 1901. He was knighted on retirement from the ward 1935). Scientific theories that we accept today Museum in 1924. were still controversial and intensely debated while Smith Woodward was born on 23 May 1864 in Smith Woodward was alive. Macclesfield, an industrial town in the north Mid- A book that celebrates the life and scientific lands of England.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biology of Marine Mammals
    Romero, A. 2009. The Biology of Marine Mammals. The Biology of Marine Mammals Aldemaro Romero, Ph.D. Arkansas State University Jonesboro, AR 2009 2 INTRODUCTION Dear students, 3 Chapter 1 Introduction to Marine Mammals 1.1. Overture Humans have always been fascinated with marine mammals. These creatures have been the basis of mythical tales since Antiquity. For centuries naturalists classified them as fish. Today they are symbols of the environmental movement as well as the source of heated controversies: whether we are dealing with the clubbing pub seals in the Arctic or whaling by industrialized nations, marine mammals continue to be a hot issue in science, politics, economics, and ethics. But if we want to better understand these issues, we need to learn more about marine mammal biology. The problem is that, despite increased research efforts, only in the last two decades we have made significant progress in learning about these creatures. And yet, that knowledge is largely limited to a handful of species because they are either relatively easy to observe in nature or because they can be studied in captivity. Still, because of television documentaries, ‘coffee-table’ books, displays in many aquaria around the world, and a growing whale and dolphin watching industry, people believe that they have a certain familiarity with many species of marine mammals (for more on the relationship between humans and marine mammals such as whales, see Ellis 1991, Forestell 2002). As late as 2002, a new species of beaked whale was being reported (Delbout et al. 2002), in 2003 a new species of baleen whale was described (Wada et al.
    [Show full text]
  • PDF) S3 Table
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Tooth mineralization and histology patterns in extinct and extant snaggletooth sharks, Hemipristis (Carcharhiniformes, Hemigaleidae)ÐEvolutionary significance or ecological adaptation? Patrick L. Jambura1*, Cathrin Pfaff1, Charlie J. Underwood2, David J. Ward3, JuÈrgen Kriwet1 a1111111111 1 Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, 2 Department of Earth and Planetary a1111111111 Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom, 3 Department of Earth Sciences, Natural a1111111111 History Museum, London, United Kingdom a1111111111 a1111111111 * [email protected] Abstract OPEN ACCESS Shark jaws exhibit teeth that are arranged into distinct series and files and display great Citation: Jambura PL, Pfaff C, Underwood CJ, diversities in shapes and structures, which not only is related to their function (grasping, cut- Ward DJ, Kriwet J (2018) Tooth mineralization ting, crushing) during feeding, but also bear a strong phylogenetic signal. So far, most and histology patterns in extinct and extant research on the relationship between shark teeth and feeding ecology and systematics snaggletooth sharks, Hemipristis (Carcharhiniformes, Hemigaleidae)Ð focused on the external tooth morphology only. Although the tooth histology of sharks has th Evolutionary significance or ecological been examined since the early 19 century, its functional and systematic implications are adaptation? PLoS ONE 13(8): e0200951. https:// still ambiguous. Shark teeth normally consist of either a porous, cellular dentine, osteoden- doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0200951 tine (in lamniform sharks and some batoids) or a dense layer of orthodentine (known from Editor: Alistair Robert Evans, Monash University, different sharks). Sharks of the order Carcharhiniformes, comprising ca. 60% of all extant AUSTRALIA shark species, are known to have orthodont teeth, with a single exceptionÐthe snaggle- Received: January 30, 2018 tooth shark, Hemipristis elongata.
    [Show full text]
  • The Evolution of Animal Weapons
    The Evolution of Animal Weapons Douglas J. Emlen Division of Biological Sciences, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812; email: [email protected] Annu. Rev. Ecol. Evol. Syst. 2008. 39:387-413 Key Words First published online as a Review in Advance on animal diversity, sexual selection, male competition, horns, antlers, tusks September 2, 2008 The Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Abstract Systematics is online at ecolsys.annualreviews.org Males in many species invest substantially in structures that are used in com- This article's doi: bat with rivals over access to females. These weapons can attain extreme 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.39.110707.173 502 proportions and have diversified in form repeatedly. I review empirical lit- Copyright © 2008 by Annual Reviews. erature on the function and evolution of sexually selected weapons to clarify All rights reserved important unanswered questions for future research. Despite their many 1543-592X/08/1201-0387$20.00 shapes and sizes, and the multitude of habitats within which they function, animal weapons share many properties: They evolve when males are able to defend spatially restricted critical resources, they are typically the most variable morphological structures of these species, and this variation hon- estly reflects among-individual differences in body size or quality. What is not clear is how, or why, these weapons diverge in form. The potential for male competition to drive rapid divergence in weapon morphology remains one of the most exciting and understudied topics in sexual selection research today. 3*7 INTRODUCTION Sexual selection is credited with the evolution of nature's most extravagant structures, and these include showy male adornments that are attractive to females (ornaments) and an arsenal of outgrowths that function in male-male combat (weapons) (Darwin 1871).
    [Show full text]
  • Middle Eocene Vertebrate Fauna from the Aridal Formation, Sabkha of Gueran, Southwestern Morocco
    geodiversitas 2021 43 5 e of lif pal A eo – - e h g e r a p R e t e o d l o u g a l i s C - t – n a M e J e l m a i r o DIRECTEUR DE LA PUBLICATION / PUBLICATION DIRECTOR : Bruno David, Président du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : Didier Merle ASSISTANT DE RÉDACTION / ASSISTANT EDITOR : Emmanuel Côtez ([email protected]) MISE EN PAGE / PAGE LAYOUT : Emmanuel Côtez COMITÉ SCIENTIFIQUE / SCIENTIFIC BOARD : Christine Argot (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) Beatrix Azanza (Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid) Raymond L. Bernor (Howard University, Washington DC) Alain Blieck (chercheur CNRS retraité, Haubourdin) Henning Blom (Uppsala University) Jean Broutin (Sorbonne Université, Paris, retraité) Gaël Clément (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) Ted Daeschler (Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphie) Bruno David (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) Gregory D. Edgecombe (The Natural History Museum, Londres) Ursula Göhlich (Natural History Museum Vienna) Jin Meng (American Museum of Natural History, New York) Brigitte Meyer-Berthaud (CIRAD, Montpellier) Zhu Min (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Pékin) Isabelle Rouget (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris) Sevket Sen (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, retraité) Stanislav Štamberg (Museum of Eastern Bohemia, Hradec Králové) Paul Taylor (The Natural History Museum, Londres, retraité) COUVERTURE / COVER : Réalisée à partir des Figures de l’article/Made from the Figures of the article. Geodiversitas est
    [Show full text]