Kingdom Metazoa
Phylum Chordata
Class Elasmobranchii
Subclass Chondrichthyes
Order Squalomorpha
- Pristiophorus
Diet:
- Fish
Habitat:
- Marine
Material:
- Isolated Teeth
The Pristiophoridae (Saw Sharks) are rare members of the Cretaceous and Paleocene marine fauna, but evidence suggests that the history of this family of sharks, which is still poorly known, must begin well before the Santonian stage where typical and advanced fossil forms have already been recovered. They are best characterized by two dorsal fins devoid of spines, and by a strongly developed, long, flattened rostrum (snout) bearing a series of side-facing, unsocketed teeth. By their general shape and anatomy, the Upper Cretaceous pristiophorids are identical to the modern ones. Pristiophorus is known only from a relatively large collection of isolated teeth recovered from Maastrichtian marine deposits on the north coast of Hornby Island.
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