Saivodus
Extinct genus of fish
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saivodus is an extinct genus of ctenacanthiform fish that existed during the Carboniferous and Permian periods.[1][2] Fossils have been found in Ireland, Scotland, England, Belgium, Morocco, the disputed Kashmir area, and the United States.[2][3]
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| Saivodus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
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| Preserved cranial material of S. striatus found at Mammoth Cave | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | †Ctenacanthiformes |
| Genus: | †Saivodus Duffin & Ginter, 2006 |
| Species: | †S. striatus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Saivodus striatus Agassiz, 1843 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Taxonomy
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Saivodus was erected in 2006 after an anatomical and taxonomic review of Ctenacanthiform dentition specimens by Paleontologists Dr. Christopher Duffin and Dr. Michał Ginter. The species belonging to this genus were formerly included in the two unrelated genera Cladodus and Ctenacanthus.[1][2]
The species Saivodus striatus is currently the only formally described and named species of the genus. However, other unnamed species of the Saivodus genus are known. An unnamed Saivodus species is known from deposits from the Fossil Mountain Member of the Permian (Kungurian) Kaibab Formation near Flagstaff, Arizona, U.S.[3]
Multiple Saivodus sp. teeth specimens discovered in Late Permian (Changhsingian) age deposits of the Permian-Triassic Zewan Formation at the Guryul Ravine of Kashmir (a disputed territory between India and Pakistan) might also represent a new species of the Saivodus genus. The Zewan Formation Saivodus sp. is currently the geologically youngest member of the genus.[2][4]
Description
Saivodus is the largest known member of its group measuring 4–5 metres (13–16 ft) or more in total body length, possibly even up to 6–7 metres (20–23 ft), based on individual teeth about 3 centimetres (1.2 in) or more in length.[5][6] The shape of the teeth suggest it targeted soft-bodied prey.[7] The cartilage jaws of Saivodus are 60 centimetres (24 in) in total length.[8][9]
