Hybodont shark
Meristodonoides sp. (Uunderwood & Cumbaa)
aka Hybodus sp. (Agassiz)

Age - Cretaceous  Commonality - Uncommon
 

  Most of the Meristodonoides teeth we encounter in the Cretaceous streams of New Jersey are in all probability that of M. novojerseyensis (Case and Cappetta, 2004). I still have some work to do in this area so for the present will simply refer to this tooth design as Meristodonoides sp. The Hybodont sharks have retained a porous primitive root structure that does not fossilize, specimens with complete roots are rare. The teeth have a triangular central cusp that is rather broad at the base with a weak but complete cutting edge. In addition to the teeth, dorsal fin spines and cephalic claspers can also be found. The claspers, which are only present on the male was used to hold the female during mating.
 Note:  For reference I’ve included the section on
Hybodus novojerseyensis  from ¹Case and Cappetta, 2004. 


 

A typical stream worn Meristodonoides sp.

 


 

Hybodus

On profile showing the cutting edge.

 


 

A group of stream worn teeth, these teeth average about 1/4 of an inch
 or just under a cm when measured on the diagonal.
Monmouth County, NJ
 


 

Hybodus nonojerseyensis (Case and Cappetta, 224) )
Link to Hybodus nonojerseyensis

 


 

Along with the teeth, cephalic claspers can also be found.
These claspers, which are only present on the male were used to hold the female during mating.


 

Plate 40 from Geology and Mineralogy Considered with Reference
to Natural Theology by William Buckland, 1836

Dorsal fin spine


 

¹ CASE, G.R. & CAPPETTA, H. (2004)
Additions to the elasmobranch fauna from the late Cretaceous of New Jersey (lower Navesink Formation, early Maastrichtian). Palaeovertebrata, 33 (1-4): 1-16, 2 fig., pl. 1-3.

 

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