Sélacien34 Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 (edited) Hello to everyone, i'm french and 2 of those tooth are from East South of France (near Montpellier city) the 2 others are from California sharktooth hill, I have read interesting conversation about (physogaleus/ ex galeocerdo) contortus specie on your forum and i would like to know what you think about those 2 teeth, do you think it's contortus ? Indeed, some french people think that contortus is not present in the South of France, i believe that those pictures prove the contrary... I hope pictures are rather clear but if it's not the case, please just tell me it , i'll try to make better shots. Thank you for your answers. Edited May 21, 2013 by Sélacien34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako-mama Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 They appear to be G contortus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sélacien34 Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 So i'm not blind, it's contortus. Thank you very much for your answer. (It's seems the genus has changed for Physogaleus.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Hello Selacien34 My short answer would be that if I had found your tooth in the United States I would certainly have called it "contortus". The problem is there is a lot of variation in the European Galeocerdo aduncus that includes twisted or contorted blades so this adds to the confusion of whether this is aduncas or contortus. North American "Galeocerdo aduncus" lack the variation seen in the European teeth. The type specimen of G. aduncus is from Europe. Bob Purdy decided not to call the American teeth aduncus, instead refering them to Galeocerdo sp. In Cappetta's Handbook of Paleoichthyology 1987 version, he states that contortus does not occur in Europe. Since this publication several papers have come out identifying contortus in Europe (Malta, Hungary, Italy). When Cappetta's new edition came out last year I got the chance to look at it and was surprised that he still says contortus does not occur in Europe. He also says that the North American Physogaleus contortus is probably not really Physogaleus, it is probably a new genus close to Physogaleus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sélacien34 Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Thank you very much for your answer. But, maybe Big boss Cappetta can be wrong sometimes ... There is not only twisted blade which is comparable to "..." American contortus, there are also the fine serrations on distal blade and stronger root with lingual protuberance... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sélacien34 Posted May 23, 2013 Author Share Posted May 23, 2013 Or maybe he's totally right. Maybe it's the same specie with variations, in relation with age, sexual dimorphism... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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