Carcharhinus sp.

Szabó, Márton & Kocsis, László, 2016, A preliminary report on the Early Oligocene (Rupelian, Kiscellian) selachians from the Kiscell Formation (Buda Mts, Hungary), with the re-discovery of Wilhelm Weiler’s shark teeth, Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 33, pp. 31-64 : 53-54

Carcharhinus sp.

( Figs 61–68 )

Referred material: 5 teeth (V.61.836., VER 2016.3443., VER 2016.3444., VER 2016.3454., VER 2016.3459.) .

Remarks: The main crown is low, triangular, and pointed with smooth cutting edges both mesially and distally. Both faces of the main crown are smooth, and weakly convex. The cutting edges continue in a serrated enamel-shoulder both mesially and distally. The root runs mesiodistally, with a well-developed nutritive groove positioned in the middle, and without bearing any lateral cusplets.

WEILER (1932) described a new carcharhinid species of Hypoprion reisi (now Carcharhinus reisi ) from the lower Marine Molasse in Southern Germany. Later WEILER (1933) reported this species from the Buda Hills as well. The Hungarian museum specimen (VER 2016.3454.) is very similar to WEILER’s figure (1933, text-fig. 17; also Fig. 66 of this work) but it seems that the drawn tooth is mirrored horizontally (similarly to the N. primigenius specimen V.61.672C.; see above). Nevertheless this is the only H. reisi tooth in the HNHM collection, and this tooth was found among other figured specimens of Weiler, therefore, we suggest that the only Kiscell Clay shark tooth of the HNHM collection, labelled as Hypoprion reisi is Weiler’s figured one. It must be mentioned that REINECKE et al. (2014) placed Hypoprion reisi in the synonym list of C. gibbesi when studying the Chattian shark fauna of the Subalpine Molasse Basin in Bavaria, Germany. Based on this study Weiler’s species is considered as invalid.

WEILER (1933) reported another carcharhinid species from the Kiscell Clay, Cestracion elongatus , today known as Carcharhinus elongatus . The only HNHM shark tooth labelled as Cestracion elongatus (VER 2016.3459.; Figs 61–62 ) is very similar to WEILER’s (1933, text-fig. 16; also Fig. 63 of this work) figure, and it was found among other Kiscell Clay shark teeth, figured by Weiler. For these reasons we re-catalogued it as Weiler’s figured Cestracion elongatus tooth.

The Kiscell Clay Carcharhinus teeth could belong to two species, C. elongatus , or C. gibbesi . At this stage classifying the Kiscell Clay requiem shark teeth to any of these species would be problematic due to the low number of the remains, and since different requiem shark species have similar, but still heterodont dentition. In accordance with WHITE (1956), CICIMURRI & KNIGHT (2009) described the dignath heterodonty of the species C. gibbesi in having strongly serrated enamel shoulder on upper files, while smooth shoulders on lowers. CICIMURRI & KNIGHT (2009) concluded that using this feature, the species could be distinguished from C. elongatus , which has weakly serrated or smooth shoulders on upper teeth and weakly serrated on lowers.

However, without enough well-preserved specimens suitable to make tooth sets, we suggest that these reported Kiscell Clay requiem shark teeth could belong to the same species, due to the strong heterodonty of requiem sharks. Since the studied material does not include undeniably informative specimens of various tooth positions, we identify these teeth tentatively as Carcharhinus sp. , until better preserved specimens are discovered.

Figures

Figs 61–68.Carcharhinus sp.– 61–62.Anterolateral-lateral tooth (VER 2016.3459.).– 61. Lingual view. – 62. Labial view. – 63. Presumed same specimen, as figured by WEILER (1933). – 64–65. Lateral tooth (VER 2016.3454.).– 64. Lingual view.– 65. Labial view.– 66. Presumed same specimen, as figured by WEILER (1933). – 67–68. Lateral tooth (V.61.836.). – 67. Lingual view. – 68. Labial view. – Figs 69–73. Physogaleus latus (Storms, 1894). – 69.?Upper anterolateral tooth figured by WEILER (1938), as Physodon contortus var. hassiae. – 70. Upper anterolateral tooth (VER 2016.3448.), lingual view. – 71. Upper anterolateral tooth figured by WEILER (1938), presumed to be specimen VER 2016.3448. – 72. Lower anterolateral tooth (V.61.761.), labial view. – 73. Specimen V.61.761. as figured by WEILER (1938). Scale bars: 61–62, 64–65, 67–68, 72–73: 10 mm; 70–71: 5 mm