The genus Lissodus is represented by skeletons and isolated teeth in the Cretaceous fossil records of Europe and North America. Cappetta (1987: 34-36) referred to them as a freshwater but noted that North American species were found in marine sediments and, depending on species, the teeth would form a cutting or crushing dentition.. Maisey (1996: 106) points out that freshwater members of this genus were very small, noting that a Permian species from Africa was less than 15 cm in length. The North American species include:

  • L. anitae (THURMOND 1971) Aptian-Albian of Texas,
  • L. babulskii (CAPPETTA & CASE 1975) Upper Campanian Mt. Laurel Sands of New Jersey,
  • L. humblei (MURRY, 1981) Upper Carnian, Triassic of Texas,
  • L. selachos (ESTES 1964) Maastrichtian of Wyoming,
  • L. weltoni DUFFIN 1985 Cenomanian of Oregon.

    There are multiple reports of Lissodus along the East & Gulf Coasts and Interior Sea of North America; a sampling of these include:

  • Estes (1964:7) erects Lonchidion selachos from the Late Cretaceous of Wyoming.
  • Cappetta & Case (1975a: 7 pl 1 fig 7-12) erect Lonchidion babulskii based on four dozen teeth from the Upper Campanian of NJ.
  • Lauginger & Hartstein (1983) - L. babulskii - Late Cretaceous, Maryland
  • Georgia Case & Schwimmer (1988: 292: fig 4.9-4.12) - five L. babulskii - Campanian of Georgia.
  • Manning & Dockery (1992: 6. pl 3, fig 5) - L. babulskii - Late Cretaceous of Mississippi.
  • Welton & Farish (1993) ascribed to Texas deposits: L. anitae (Albian, pg 53), L. selachos (Campanian, pg 54) and two undescribed species (Cenomanian-Maastrichtian, pg 55).
  • Case & Cappetta (1997:134 pl 2 fig 5-6) - three L. aff babulskii - Upper Maastrichtian of Texas.
  • Cappetta & Case (1999:9, pl 1, fig 8) - single Lissodus sp - Upper Cenomanian of Texas.
  • elasmo.com (1999) deemed the Black Creek (Campanian, North Carolina) teeth to most likely represent L. babulskii.

    It seems to be normal that isolated teeth from this genus are found without roots - this has certainly been the author's experience. The illustrated example is from Black Creek sands and represents the best available specimen (damage/wear from feeding is usually compounded by transportational wear). The tooth is laterally elongated with a transverse ridge/cutting edge, distinct labial protuberance and low central cusp (worn in illustrated specimen). Cappetta (1987) describes the root of this genus as being flat and perpendicular to the crown's axis. It has a broad oblique lingual face and a labial with numerous foramina.

    Footnotes

    1.   Originally listed as dating to the Permian, Gilles Cuny (pers com. 1999), referencing Derycke et al 1995, pointed out that "Lissodus is now known since the Upper Devonian of France."


    Selected References

    Cappetta, H., 1987. Chondrichthyes II. Mesozoic and Cenozoic Elasmobranchii. In: Handbook of Paleoichthyologie, vol. 3b, Gustav Fischer Verleg, Stuttgart, 193 pp.
    Cappetta, H. and Case, G., 1975a. Contribution ŕ l'étude des sélaciens du groupe Monmouth (Campanien - Maestrichtian) du New Jersey. Palaeontographica Abteilung A, 151:1-46.
    Cappetta, H and Case, G., 1999. Additions aux faunes de sélaciens du Crétacé du Texas (Albien superieur-Campanien). PalaeoIchthyologica 9, München. pp 5-111.
    Case, G., and Cappetta, H., 1997. A new selachian fauna from the late Maastrichtian of Texas. Muünchener Geowissenschaften Abhandungen 34:131-189.
    Case, G and Schwimmer, D., 1998. Late Cretaceous fish from the Blufftown Formation (Campanian) in Western Georgia.Journal of Paleontology., 62(2). pp 290-301.
    Derycke, C., Cloutier, R. and Candilier, A.-M.. 1995. Palaeozoic vertebrates of northern France and Belgium: part II - Chondrichthyes, Acanthodii, Actinopterygii (Uppermost Silurian to Carboniferous). Geobios, M.S. 19, 343-350.
    Estes, R. 1964. Fossil Vertebrates from the Late Cretaceous Lance Formation, Eastern Wyoming. University of California Publications in Geologic Sciences 49:1-187.
    Maisey, J. G. 1996. Discovering Fossil Fishes. Henry Holt & Co., NY. 223 pp
    Manning, E. and Dockery III, D, 1992. A guide to the Frankstown vertebrate fossil locality (Upper Cretaceous), Prentiss County, Mississippi. Mississippi Dept. of Env. Qual., Office of Geology, Circular 4, 43 p., 12 pls.
    Schwimmer, D., 1986. Late Cretaceous fossils from the Blufftown Formation (Campanian) in western Georgia. The Mosasaur, III:109-119.
    Welton, B. and Farish, R., 1993. The Collector's Guide to Fossil Sharks and Rays from the Cretaceous of Texas. Before Time, Texas. 204 pp.

     

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