Batoids (Elasmobranchii: Batomorphii) from the British and French Late Cretaceous

Abstract

Bulk sampling of phosphatic horizons from the Late Cretaceous of the Anglo-Paris Basin and Northern Ireland yielded very rich and high diversity selachian faunas. Amongst them, batoid remains (rays and skates) are commonly present and diverse although never a dominant element of these assemblages. The following new taxa are described: Cretaplatyrhinoidis ornatus gen. et sp. nov., Pseudoplatyrhina crispa gen. et sp. nov., 'Rhinobatos' seruensis sp. nov., Squatirhina draytoni sp. nov., Agaleorhynchus britannicus gen. et sp. nov. and Ptychotrygonoides sabatieri sp. nov. Batoids are described for the first time from post-Cenomanian Late Cretaceous deposits of England and the dentition of species of the genus Squatirhina is described and discussed. The Platyrhinidae described here represent the oldest known records for the family and the Cenomanian material identified as Dasyatoidea indet. is one of the rare remains of the order Myliobatifomes from pre- Campanian horizons. Evolutionary and palaeoecological observations are also discussed. Copyright © 2012 The Natural History Museum.