''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