1. LUNGFISHES FROM THE TRINITY GROUP (CRETACEOUS) OF NORTH TEXAS.
- Author
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Parris, David C., Grandstaff, Barbara Smith, and Banks, Nathan T.
- Subjects
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AUSTRALIAN lungfish , *INVERTEBRATES , *PREDATION , *DENTITION , *ANIMAL species - Abstract
Most Ceratodus specimens from the Aptian/Albian of north Texas belong to a small species that is characterized by distinctive sharp dental crests, denticulate in unworn tooth plates. These blade-like crests, indicative of a cutting and chopping dentition, distinguish this lineage from the crushing dentitions of most other North American Cretaceous dipnoans. This species is described and named herein as Ceratodus texanus. The functional adaptation of the dentition of this species (cutting/chopping) is indicative of predation on small invertebrates. The species is recorded from the Antlers Formation at Butler Farm (Wise County) and Greenwood Canyon (Montague County), and from the Twin Mountains Formation at the Jones Ranch Locality (Hood County). Although the natural history of dipnoans in the eastern North American subcontinent remains largely unknown, it is now certain that eastern lungfish populations, after formation of the central seaway, included lineages with crushing dentitions and lineages with sectorial dentitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011