Albula oweni ( Owen, 1845 )

Ebersole, Jun A., Cicimurri, David J. & Stringer, Gary L., 2019, Taxonomy and biostratigraphy of the elasmobranchs and bony fishes (Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes) of the lower-to-middle Eocene (Ypresian to Bartonian) Claiborne Group in Alabama, USA, including an analysis of otoliths, European Journal of Taxonomy 585, pp. 1-274 : 163

Albula oweni ( Owen, 1845)

Fig. 60 J–R

Pisodus oweni Owen, 1845: 138 , atlas p. 13, pl. 47, fig. 3.

Albula oweni – Woodward 1901: 108 , pl. 3, figs 3–5.

Material examined

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – Alabama • 25 isolated teeth; Claiborne Group ; ALMNH PV1993.2.494 (2 specimens), MSC 35775.1 – 14 , MSC 37166.1 – 2 , MSC 37442, MSC 37699, MSC 37891, MSC 38430, MSC 38445.1 , MSC 38491, MSC 38862 .

Description

Tooth crown with circular outline in occlusal view; occlusal surface nearly flat to convex. Thin enameloid covering smooth, generally not reaching tooth base; flattened triturating surface of worn teeth composed of dentine. Sides of crown straight or slightly convex, often tapered basally. Tooth base flat with circular, centrally located pulp cavity.

Remarks

The A. eppsi teeth in our sample measure less than 5 mm in diameter, whereas teeth of A. oweni measure up to 9 mm in diameter. Small teeth with straight or weakly biconvex lateral sides were originally described as A. eppsi by White (1931: figs 137–141). In contrast, teeth of A. oweni grow to large sizes and have lateral tooth sides that taper basally. The teeth of both A. eppsi and A. oweni are separable from Pycnodus sp. in having a much higher crown covered by only a thin enameloid layer, a small but conspicuous pulp cavity, and worn teeth are not punctate.

Stratigraphic and geographic range in Alabama

The specimens in our sample were collected from the lower Tallahatta Formation at site ADl-1, the contact of the Tallahatta and Lisbon formations at site ACov-11, the “upper” Lisbon Formation at site ACl-3, and the basal Gosport Sand at site ACl-4. Upper Ypresian to middle Bartonian, zones NP14 to NP17.

Figures

Fig. 60. Albula eppsi White, 1931 and Albula oweni (Owen, 1845), teeth. A–I. Albula eppsi A–C. MSC 38445.1, lower Tallahatta Formation. A. Oral view. B. Profile view. C. Aboral view. D–F. MSC 37909.1, basal Lisbon Formation. D. Oral view. E. Profile view. F. Aboral view. G–I. MSC 37541, basal Gosport Sand. G. Oral view. H. Profile view. I. Aboral view. — J–R. Albula oweni. J–L. MSC 38445.1, lower Tallahatta Formation. J. Oral view. K. Profile view. L. Aboral view. M–O. MSC 37891, “upper” Lisbon Formation. M. Oral view. N. Profile view. O. Aboral view. P–R. MSC 37699, basal Gosport Sand. P. Oral view. Q. Profile view. R. Aboral view. Scale bars = 2 mm.