Aberrant rostral teeth of the sawfish Onchopristis numidus from the Kem Kem beds (?Early Late Cretaceous) of Morocco and a reappraisal of Onchopristis in New Zealand

Abstract

A single crown of sawfish rostral 'tooth' with at least two barbs along its posterior margin is comparable with Onchopristis dunklei from the Woodbine Formation of Texas and Atlanticopristis equatorialis from the Alcântara Formation of Brazil. However, it is regarded here as an aberrant Onchopristis numidus, the typical form from North Africa. An aberrant morph of O. numidus is considered pathological. The taxonomic utility of barb number in pristid rostral 'teeth' is discussed. The genus and species Australopristis wiffeni gen. et sp. nov is erected to accommodate some multi-cusped rostral teeth from the Late Cretaceous of New Zealand. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.