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''Cladodus'' is an extinct genus of
cartilaginous fish Chondrichthyes (; ) is a class that contains the cartilaginous fishes that have skeletons primarily composed of cartilage. They can be contrasted with the Osteichthyes or ''bony fishes'', which have skeletons primarily composed of bone tissue. ...
es in the family Cladoselachidae. As the name implies, they are a type of cladodont, primitive
sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
with
teeth A tooth ( : teeth) is a hard, calcified structure found in the jaws (or mouths) of many vertebrates and used to break down food. Some animals, particularly carnivores and omnivores, also use teeth to help with capturing or wounding prey, te ...
designed to snag fish and
swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...
them whole, instead of sawing off chunks to swallow. Fossils of ''Cladodus'' have been found in Barkip, Scotland and in the Pitkin Formation (
Carboniferous period The Carboniferous ( ) is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic that spans 60 million years from the end of the Devonian Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Permian Period, million years ago. The name ''Carboniferous ...
) in
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the ...
, United States. In addition, fossils attributable to ''Cladodus'' are known from the Manning Canyon Shale of Carboniferous age in the state of
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
.


Species

*†''Cladodus alternatus'' St. John & Worthen, 1875 *†''Cladodus angulatus'' Newberry & Worthen, 1866 *†''Cladodus bellifer'' St. John & Worthen, 1875 *†''Cladodus divaricatus'' Trautschold, 1874 *†''Cladodus elegans'' Newberry & Worthen, 1870 Remains (braincase and a tooth) have been found in Scotland (
Clackmannan Group The Clackmannan Group is the name given to a suite of rocks of late Dinantian and Namurian age laid down during the Carboniferous period in the Midland Valley of Scotland. Description The Group comprises a lower unit of coarse sandstones, ...
). *†''Cladodus eriensis'' Bryant, 1935 *†''Cladodus formosus'' Hay, 1902 *†''Cladodus gailensis'' Feichtinger ''et al.'', 2021 *†''Cladodus marginatus'' Agassiz, 1843 *†''Cladodus mirabilis'' Agassiz, 1843 (type species) *†''Cladodus pandatus'' St. John & Worthen, 1875 *†''Cladodus springeri'' St. John & Worthen, 1875 *†''Cladodus vanhornei'' St. John & Worthen, 1875 *†''Cladodus yunnanensis'' Pan, 1964


See also

*
List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish genera This list of prehistoric cartilaginous fish genera is an attempt to create a comprehensive listing of all genera that have ever been included in the class chondrichthyes ''and'' are known from the fossil record. This list excludes purely vernacula ...


References

Prehistoric cartilaginous fish genera Mississippian fish of North America Elasmobranchii Taxa named by Louis Agassiz Fossil taxa described in 1843 Carboniferous fish of Europe Fossils of Austria {{Paleo-cartilaginous-fish-stub