''Rhomphaiodon'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric sharks in the order

Synechodontiformes Synechodontiformes is an extinct order of prehistoric shark-like cartilaginous fish, known from the Permian to the Paleogene. They are considered to be members of Neoselachii, the group that contains modern sharks and rays. Their placement ...

that has been found in

Late Triassic The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch a ...

and

Early Jurassic The Early Jurassic Epoch (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic� ...

deposits located in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

.G. Cuny and S. Risnes. 2005. The Enameloid Microstructure of the Teeth of Synechodontiform Sharks (Chondrichthyes: Neoselachii). ''PalArch'' 3(2):9-19 The type species ''R. minor'' was originally named as a species of ''

Hybodus ''Hybodus'' (from , 'crooked' and 'tooth') is an extinct genus of Hybodontiformes, hybodont. Species closely related to the type species ''Hybodus reticulatus'' lived during the Early Jurassic epoch. Numerous species have been assigned to ''Hyb ...

'' in 1837 by

Louis Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he recei ...

. A second species, ''R. nicolensis'', was added when the genus was named in 1993.C. J. Duffin. 1993. Late Triassic sharks teeth (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from Saint-Nicolas-de-Port (north-east France). ''Belgian Geological Survey, Professional Paper, Elasmobranches et Stratigraphie'' 264(1993):7-32

Fossil distribution

Fossils of ''Rhomphaiodon'' have been found in: ;Triassic * Grès de Mortinsart Formation,

Norian The Norian is a division of the Triassic geological period, Period. It has the rank of an age (geology), age (geochronology) or stage (stratigraphy), stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227.3 to Mya (unit), million years ago. It was prec ...

Rhaetian The Rhaetian is the latest age (geology), age of the Triassic period (geology), Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Triassic system (stratigraphy), System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the N ...

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

(''R. minor'') * Sables de Mortinsart Formation, Norian Belgium (''R. minor'') *near

Saint-Laurent-du-Var Saint-Laurent-du-Var (; Occitan: ''Sant Laurenç de Var'', Italian: ''San Lorenzo del Varo'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera. History The town was founded in the ...

, Rhaetian

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

(''R. minor'') *

Gres à Avicula contorta Formation The Gres a Avicula contorta is a geological formation in France. It dates back to the late Norian.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Triassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka ...

, Rhaetian France (''R. nicolensis'') * Apfelstädtgrundes, Rhaetian

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

(''R. minor'') * Kössener Schichten Formation ('' Cochloceras suessi''

ammonoid Ammonoids are extinct, (typically) coiled-shelled cephalopods comprising the subclass Ammonoidea. They are more closely related to living octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish (which comprise the clade Coleoidea) than they are to nautiluses (family N ...

zone), Rhaetian Germany (''R. minor'') * Steinmergel Group, Norian

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

(''R. minor'') *

Magnesian Conglomerate The Magnesian Conglomerate is a geological Formation (geology), formation in Clifton, Bristol in England (originally Avon (county), Avon), Gloucestershire and southern Wales, present in Tytherington, Gloucestershire, Tytherington, Durdham Down, S ...

, Rhaetian

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

(''R. minor'') *

Westbury Formation The Westbury Formation is a geological Formation (geology), formation in England, one of the Penarth Group. It dates back to the Rhaetian.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Late Triassic, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B. ...

, Rhaetian England (''R. minor'') *'' Microlestes'' Quarry,

Frome Frome ( ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, on uneven high ground at the eastern end of the Mendip Hills and on the River Frome, south of Bath. The population of the parish was 28,559 in 2021. Frome was one of the largest tow ...

, Rhaetian England (''R. minor'') *Manor Farm Quarry,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

, Rhaetian England (''R. minor'') *

Penarth Group The Penarth Group is a Rhaetian age (Triassic) lithostratigraphic group (a sequence of rock strata) which is widespread in Britain. It is named from the seaside town of Penarth near Cardiff in south Wales where strata of this age are exposed in ...

, Rhaetian England (''R. minor'') *

Cribbs Causeway Cribbs Causeway is both a road in South Gloucestershire, England, running north of the city of Bristol, and the adjacent area which is notable for its Out-of-town shopping centres in the United Kingdom, out-of-town shopping and leisure facilitie ...

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, Rhaetian England (''R. minor'') * Pullastra Sandstone, Rhaetian England (''R. minor'') ;Jurassic *

Aubange Aubange (; ; ; ) is a municipality and city of Wallonia located in the province of Luxembourg, Belgium. On 1 January 2012 the municipality, which covers 45.6 km2, had 16,042 inhabitants, giving a population density of 330.9 inhabitants per ...

, Fleche (''

Hildoceras ''Hildoceras'' is a genus of ammonite from the Jurassic period in the family Hildoceratidae. The shells are characterized by a narrow discoidal evolute shape, keeled venter, concave ribs along the outer flanks, and a shallow spiral groove run ...

bifrons In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (''Ianu ...

'' zone),

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, an age (geology), age and stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Early Jurassic, Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 184.2 Megaannum, Ma (million ...

Belgium (''R. minor'') *

Dudelange Dudelange (; ; ) is a commune with town status in southern Luxembourg. It is the fourth-most populous commune, with 22,043 inhabitants. Dudelange is situated close to the border with France. The commune also includes the smaller town of Bude ...

, Ginzebierg,

Luxembourg (''R. minor'') *

Windsor Hill Windsor Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire. It lies within the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and it is featured in the Nature Conservation Review. A small part is ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (, abbreviated ''Bucks'') is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-east, Hertfordshir ...

(

Lias Group The Lias Group or Lias is a lithostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) found in a large area of western Europe, including the British Isles, the North Sea, the Low Countries and the north of Germany. It consists of marine limestones, ...

?),

Pliensbachian The Pliensbachian is an age of the geologic timescale and stage in the stratigraphic column. It is part of the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series and spans the time between 192.9 ±0.3 Ma and 184.2 ±0.3 Ma (million years ago). The Plie ...

England (''R. minor'')W. Kühne. 1956. The Liassic therapsid ''

Oligokyphus ''Oligokyphus'' ("few cusps") is an extinct genus of herbivorous tritylodontid cynodont known from the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic of Europe, Asia and North America. Discovery and naming ''Oligokyphus'' was named by Edwin Hennig in 1922 on ...

''. ''British Museum (Natural History), London'' 1-149

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q104835017 Prehistoric sharks Late Triassic Europe Early Jurassic Europe Synechodontiformes Fossil taxa described in 1993