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

and Early Jurassic deposits located in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

.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 el, ύβος , 'crooked' and el, ὀδούς 'tooth') is an extinct genus of hybodont, a group of shark-like elasmobranchs that lived from the Late Devonian to the end of the Cretaceous. Species closely related to the type sp ...

'' 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 rec ...

. 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 Period. It has the rank of an age (geochronology) or stage (chronostratigraphy). It lasted from ~227 to million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian. Stratigraphic defi ...

Rhaetian The Rhaetian is the latest age of the Triassic Period (in geochronology) or the uppermost stage of the Triassic System (in chronostratigraphy). It was preceded by the Norian and succeeded by the Hettangian (the lowermost stage or earliest age ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

(''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 11 ...

, Rhaetian

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

(''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 is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

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

ammonoid Ammonoids are a group of extinct marine mollusc animals in the subclass Ammonoidea of the class Cephalopoda. These molluscs, commonly referred to as ammonites, are more closely related to living coleoids (i.e., octopuses, squid and cuttlefish) ...

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

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

(''R. minor'') * Magnesian Conglomerate, Rhaetian

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

(''R. minor'') *

Westbury Formation The Westbury Formation is a geological 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.; Dodson, Peter; and ...

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

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

, 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 ...

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

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

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

Aubange Aubange (; german: Ibingen; lb, Éibeng; wa, Åbindje) 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 popu ...

, 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 r ...

bifrons'' zone),

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toarcian ...

Belgium (''R. minor'') * Dudelange, Ginzebierg,

Luxembourg (''R. minor'') *

Windsor Hill Windsor Hill is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 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 m ...

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

( Lias Group?), Pliensbachian England (''R. minor'')W. Kühne. 1956. The Liassic

therapsid Therapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Many of the traits today seen as unique to mammals had their origin within early therapsids, including limbs that were oriented more ...

Oligokyphus ''Oligokyphus'' ("few cusps") is an extinct genus of advanced herbivorous cynodonts of the late Triassic to early Jurassic periods. Originally considered to be an early mammal, it is now classified as a Mammaliamorph (nearly a mammal) because ''O ...

''. ''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