Systematics and occurrences of Edestus (Chondrichthyes) worldwide and new occurrences from Colorado and Texas

Abstract

The species of Edestus Leidy (Chondrichthyes, Edestidae) are divided into two groups: those close to Edestus minor Newberry and those close to Edestus heinrichi Newberry and Worthen. The occurrences of Edestus worldwide (North America, Britain and Russia) are reviewed. In North America, Edestus occurs in the Illinois Basin and in the western United States, including South Dakota, Colorado and Texas, but not in marine beds of the same age in the Appalachian Basin. The absence of Edestus in the Appalachian Basin supports the idea that Edestus required access to the open sea, even if its remains are sometimes found in shallow or marginal marine deposits. The chronostratigraphic range of Edestus is from the middle Atokan through the Desmoinesian (Middle Pennsylvanian). All Atokan and lower Desmoinesian occurrences are from the E. minor group. The ranges of the E. minor group and the E. heinrichi group overlap in the upper Desmoinesian. We report two teeth of E. minor from the latest Atokan, in the Minturn Formation at McCoy, Eagle County Colorado. This is the first report of the genus from the southern Rocky Mountain region. We report some teeth of Edestus from Texas for the first time.

Keywords:

• Edestus
• Chondrichthyes
• sharks
• Pennsylvanian
• Colorado
• Texas

Acknowledgements

We thank D. Nelson and S. Reinhold for collecting and donating the Colorado specimens; J.C. Sagebiel of the TMM for facilitating the loan of the Texas specimens and for providing information on their provenance; N. Larson of the BHIGR for providing information on the E. heinrichi cast in Figure 1; K. Wellspring of the ACM for providing information on the type specimen of E. minor; and R.H. Mapes of Ohio University for information on the Atokan Edestus tooth from Oklahoma. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for comments that led to our clarifying some points.

Notes

1. Email: [email protected]

2. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karen J. Houck

1

Martin G. Lockley

2