Sclerorhynchoidei is an extinct suborder of
rajiform rays
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (gra ...
that had long
rostra
The rostra ( it, Rostri, links=no) was a large platform built in the city of Rome that stood during the republican and imperial periods. Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the comitium towards the senate house and deli ...
with large
denticles similar to
sawfishes and
sawsharks. This feature was
convergently evolved
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last com ...
and their closest living relatives are actually
skates.
While they are often called "sawfishes", sawskates is a more accurate
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
for sclerorhynchoids. The suborder contains five named families:
Ganopristidae,
Ischyrhizidae,
Onchopristidae,
Ptychotrygonidae, and
Schizorhizidae.
Several genera (see below) are not currently placed in any of these families. Sclerorhynchoids first appeared in the
Barremian
The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is precede ...
and went extinct during the
Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event
The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) extinction event (also known as the Cretaceous–Tertiary extinction) was a sudden mass extinction of three-quarters of the plant and animal species on Earth, approximately 66 million years ago. With the ...
, with former
Paleocene
The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...
occurrences being misidentifications or
reworked specimens.
Phylogeny
Below is a cladogram of Sclerorhynchoidei, with the topology based on Villalobos-Segura ''et al.'' (2021b) and the family taxonomy based on Greenfield (2021).
Other genera
*†''
Agaleorhynchus
''Agaleorhynchus'' is an extinct genus of Sclerorhynchidae from the Cretaceous period. It is named after Professor Andy Gale, in recognition of his work on Cretaceous chalk stratigraphy. It is known from a single species, ''A. britannicus'', w ...
''
*†''
Ankistrorhynchus
''Ankistrorhynchus'' is an extinct genus of sawfish-like shark from the Cretaceous Period. It is known only isolated rostral teeth from two species. ''A. lonzeensis'' is named for its type locality of Lonzée, Belgium. It is from the lower Sant ...
''
*†''
Archingeayia
''Archingeayia'' is an extinct genus of Sclerorhynchiformes, sawfish-like shark from the Cretaceous period. The name is derived from the type locale of the type species: Archingeay, Archingeay−Les Nouillers, France. This genus is known current ...
''
*†''
Atlanticopristis''
*†''
Australopristis
''Australopristis'' is an extinct genus of sawfish from the late Cretaceous epoch. Its name is derived from the Latin for "southern" and the Greek for "saw". It is known from a single species, ''A. wiffeni'' named for the late prominent fossil h ...
''
*†''
Baharipristis''
*†''
Biropristis
''Biropristis'' is an extinct genus of sawfish-like shark from the Late Cretaceous epoch of the Cretaceous period. The genus is named in honor of Dr. Lajos Biró-Bagózcky who studied the formation in which it was found. It is known from a sin ...
''
*†''
Borodinopristis''
*†''
Celtipristis''
*†''
Columbusia''
*†''
Ctenopristis''
*†''
Dalpiazia''
*†''
Harranahynchus''
*†''
Iberotrygon''
*†''
Kiestus''
*†''
Marckgrafia''
*†''
Onchosaurus
''Onchosaurus'' is an extinct genus of sclerorhynchid sawfish from the Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata fro ...
''
*†''
Plicatopristis''
*†''
Pucapristis''
*†''
Renpetia''
*†
Sao Khua sclerorhynchoid
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q25095431
Sclerorhynchoidei