ANGUILLA? CHICKASAWAE SCHWARZHANS AND STRINGER,

2020a

FIG. 5F

Material— six specimens, specimen figured, DMNH 2021-09- 6.

Description and Remarks— Distinguishing characteristics of Anguilla? chickasawae include a somewhat oval to ovate shape in well preserved specimens (sensu Smale et al. 1995) with a H/L ratio of approximately 66%, a convex inner face, a narrow, almost horizontal sulcus with a poorly-defined ostium and cauda. The posterior margin is commonly almost vertical. Stringer et al. (2020, fig. 5A–E) originally described A.? chickasawae from the Ripley Formation (Maastrichtian) of Mississippi. Anguilla? chickasawae differs from other Late Cretaceous or Paleogene anguillid otoliths by its much longer ostium. Schwarzhans and Stringer (2020a) postulated that A.? chickasawae could represent a fossil genus of the Anguillidae or a closely related fossil family of which otoliths are not known presently.