Parhybodus plicatilis
Middle Triassic, Upper Muschelkalk (Ladinian), Upper Silesia, Poland
A well-preserved specimen of the anterior slender tooth of the hybodont shark Parhybodus plicatilis. The teeth of this shark are characterized by significant variability in shape and size, depending on their position in the jaw.
Historically, different shapes were attributed to several species (in this case, “Hybodus longiconus“); the discovery of better-preserved, articulated remains led researchers to ensure this was a single species.
The anterior teeth were characterized by larger sizes and a prominent principal cusp. Farther from the front, the teeth became lower and the cusplets more pronounced and principal cusp more robust. This variability in shape is clearly visible when comparing all the specimens of this species published on this website.
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