Folipistrix, Kriwet, 2003

Kriwet, Jürgen, 2003, Neoselachian remains (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the Middle Jurassic of SW Germany and NW Poland, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 48 (4), pp. 583-594 : 586

Genus Folipistrix nov.

Type species: Folipistrix digitulus sp. nov.

Etymology: The generic name is derived from folium (n.), the Latin word for leaf, in reconsideration of the outline of the tooth crown and pistrix (f.), the Latin word for sea monster or shark.

Diagnosis.—Neoselachian characterised by very small, hemiaulacorhize teeth. Tooth crown high and triangular. No lateral heels or lateral cusplets. Cutting edge well developed, continuous and irregular jagged. Broad, well−developed rectangular labial protuberance present. Labial protuberance protruding almost horizontally, not being supported by root and well detached from labial root depression. No lingual uvula or ornamentation. Central root foramen small, incipient. Two pairs of margino−lateral foramina. Medio−lingual foramen small.

Differential diagnosis.—The teeth of Folipistrix gen. nov. differ from similar teeth of other neoselachians such as Squatina in the absence of lateral heels and the well−detached and not root−supported protuberance. They differ from teeth of all other Jurassic orectolobiforms in the absence of lateral cusplets (e.g., Palaeobrachaelurus , Annea , Orectoloboides ) or in the absence of crown ornament (e.g., Annea , Orectoloboides ). From teeth of the agaleid Agaleus they are distinguished by the absence of a labial horizontal ridge and a root buttress supporting the labial protuberance. The combination of triangular labio−lingually compressed tooth crown, absent lateral heels and lateral cusplets, jagged cutting edges and absent lingual uvula distinguishes the teeth of the new genus easily from all known orectolobiform and carcharhiniform taxa.