Scomberomorus stormsi (Leriche, 1905)

Fig. 64 S–AA

Cybium stormsi Leriche, 1905: 151, pl. 10, fig. 3.

Scomberomorus stormsi – Bannikov 1982: 135 .

Material examined

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Alabama • 12 isolated teeth; Claiborne Group; MSC 37126, MSC 37512.1 – 2, MSC 38974.1 – 3, MSC 38977, SC 2012.47.248 (5 specimens) .

Description

Teeth measuring up to 1.0 cm high, 5.0 mm wide. Crown medially curved, biconvex; medial face more convex than lateral face; faces with thin layer of enameloid; enameloid smooth or finely striated basally. Crown bicarinate; carinae smooth, sharp, not reaching the tooth base; basal half of carinae straight, nearly parallel; tapering to point apically. Basal part of tooth more cylindrical, appears constricted below end of carinae. Tooth base with ovate outline, weak pulp cavity.

Remarks

Scomberomorus stormsi (Leriche, 1905) and S. bleekeri (Storms, 1892) are coeval within Eocene strata (Casier 1946, 1966; Weems 1999), but the former can be differentiated from the latter by being more ovate in basal view and being twice as high as wide. The teeth of S. stormsi can also exhibit longitudinal striations on the labial and lingual faces. This species can be differentiated from teeth of Palaeocybium proosti and Sphyraena sp. in having carinae that do not reach the tooth base, a much smaller pulp cavity than P. proosti, and a labiolingually thicker crown than Sphyraena sp.

Stratigraphic and geographic range in Alabama

The specimens in our sample were collected from the lower Tallahatta Formation at site ADl-1, the contact of the Tallahatta and Lisbon formations and the basal Lisbon Formation at site ACov-11, and the basal Gosport Sand at site ACl-15. Upper Ypresian to middle Bartonian, zones NP14 to NP17.