Kansas Shark Tooth Id Help Needed

[sixgill pete]

I recently received some Blue Hill Shale matrix from a fellow forum member to break down and search for micro and mini teeth. After the second break down cycle I found this tooth that I am trying to get a positive ID for. It has been suggested Psuedocorax or possibly a symphyseal by another forum member. Any thoughts?

[siteseer]

Pseudocorax is not known from the Blue Hill Shale according to Shimada (2006). Parasymphyseal teeth can be quite variable in root shape in lamniform sharks so I would say it could be a Squalicorax falcatus parasyphyseal. Cretodus and Cretalamna are also known from the Blue Hill.

Jess

http://econtent.unm.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/bulletins/id/710

.

I recently received some Blue Hill Shale matrix from a fellow forum member to break down and search for micro and mini teeth. After the second break down cycle I found this tooth that I am trying to get a positive ID for. It has been suggested Psuedocorax or possibly a symphyseal by another forum member. Any thoughts?

[MarcoSr]

Pseudocorax is not known from the Blue Hill Shale according to Shimada (2006).

Jess

The Blue Hill shale fish conglomerate that Don is looking through hasn't been studied in depth as far as I can tell. Mike on Oceans of Kansas has some species from the conglomerate on the website. I came up with a process to break it down completely that wasn't being used before. I am seeing multiple species that Shimada hasn't reported especially in the rays and I've only looked through a small amount of conglomerate. I've got several examples of a very small non serrate Squalicorax like tooth. The specimens in the conglomerate are in excellent condition so I don't believe the Squalicorax like teeth are reworked with the serrations completely worn. My teeth look much closer to a Pseudocorax design than say a Microcorax design. If these teeth aren't Pseudocorax they are xxxxxxcorax.

Marco Sr.

Edited August 19, 2013 by MarcoSr

[sixgill pete]

Thanks for the link and the possible ID, Jess.

Edited August 19, 2013 by sixgill pete

[sixgill pete]

After searching and searching I finally found a tooth pictured, same approximate size, shape and so on. The only difference was it had very fine minute serrations. This tooth has no serrations. The one I found online was ID'd as a Squalicorax falcatus symphyseal. I am still not sure if I should label it Squalicorax sp. or Psuedocorax sp. due to no serrations.

[MarcoSr]

Looking closer at your tooth I wouldn't say Pseudocorax sp. because your tooth lacks a deep nutrient groove. It might still be a symphyseal/parasymphyseal Squalicorax sp. even though it lacks serrations. It might be another corax genus.

Marco Sr.

[Tony Eaton]

The breakdown process sounds interesting. I have a lot of matrix from Texas that has been tough to get at.

It is interesting to see another "corax"!

[sixgill pete]

Thanks Marco. I will label it Squalicorax sp.

Does this tooth look like the non-serrated ones you have been finding that look like Psuedocorax

[MarcoSr]

Thanks Marco. I will label it Squalicorax sp.

Does this tooth look like the non-serrated ones you have been finding that look like Psuedocorax

Don

My two teeth are complete. One is an anterior around 4mm and the other is a lateral around 3mm. Neither have a nutrient grove. Neither have serrations. Both have a somewhat thin crown. The anterior has an erect crown and the lateral has considerable crown inclination. So there are a lot of similarities to your tooth.

Marco Sr.