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| Aellopobatis bavarica Türtscher, Jambura, Villalobos-Segura, López-Romero, Underwood, Thies, Lauer, Lauer & Kriwet, 2024 DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1552 |
Abstract
The fossil record of chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks, rays and skates) consists largely of isolated teeth, with holomorphic specimens being extraordinary exceptions. However, numerous of these more or less completely preserved specimens are known from several Upper Jurassic deposits of Europe, enabling detailed analysis of their morphology. Batomorphs (rays and skates) resembling modern guitarfishes and wedgefishes (Rhinopristiformes) are among the most common Jurassic chondrichthyans found, but they have been only sporadically studied up to now, resulting in large knowledge gaps concerning their taxonomy and phylogeny. Here, we present the most detailed revision of Late Jurassic holomorphic batomorphs to date, quantitatively analysing body proportions of specimens from Germany (Solnhofen Archipelago), France (Cerin) and the UK (Kimmeridge), using both geometric and traditional morphometrics. Furthermore, we identify qualitative morphological characters for species discrimination, to clarify the taxonomic identity and diversity of Late Jurassic batomorphs based on holomorphic specimens. Our results support the validity of Belemnobatis sismondae, Kimmerobatis etchesi and Spathobatis bugesiacus, as well as that of the previously doubtful Asterodermus platypterus. Moreover, we describe Aellopobatis bavarica, a new taxon, which has hitherto been considered to be a large-sized morphotype of Spathobatis bugesiacus. Our results highlight that the diversity of holomorphic batomorphs during the Late Jurassic was greater than previously thought, and suggest that this group was already well-established and diverse by this time. This study thus provides vital information about the evolutionary history of Late Jurassic batomorphs and has direct implications for batomorph species that are based on isolated teeth only.
Keywords: geometric morphometrics, Batomorphii, Spathobatidae, body shape, cryptic species, Aellopobatis bavarica
Class CHONDRICHTHYES Huxley, 1880
Subclass ELASMOBRANCHII Bonaparte, 1838
Cohort EUSELACHII Hay, 1902
Subcohort NEOSELACHII Compagno, 1977
Superorder BATOMORPHII Cappetta, 1980
Order Uncertain
Family SPATHOBATIDAE Dames, 1888
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| Aellopobatis bavarica gen. et sp. nov. A, CM 5396. B, NHMUK PV P 6010. C, LF 2323. Scale bars represent 10 cm. |
Genus Aellopobatis nov.
Derivation of name: Münster (1836) described a fossil consisting of a dorsal and a caudal fin, which may well be the first mention of this genus, albeit it is impossible to confirm due to the lack of diagnostic characters; he named it Aellopos after the harpy Aello, a hybrid in Greek mythology with the body of a bird and the head of a woman. To honour this original but preoccupied name, we complement it to Aellopobatis. The Greek Ἀελλώ (Aëllṓ) means ‘storm wind’, and βατίς (batís) means ‘ray’ or ‘skate’; feminine.
Stratigraphic & geographic distribution: Upper Jurassic of Europe. Lower Tithonian of the Solnhofen Archipelago (Solnhofen, Eichstätt, Zandt, Kelheim, Langenaltheim, Blumenberg), Bavaria, Germany.
Aellopobatis bavarica sp. nov.
Derivation of name: The species name bavarica is Latin and means ‘Bavarian’; feminine.
Diagnosis: Guitarfish-like batomorph that is unique in the combination of the following characters: exceptionally long rostrum with paddle-shaped rostral appendix; antorbital cartilages present but not extending halfway between the nasal capsules and the propterygium; 38–46 pectoral radials (9–11 propterygial, 9–12 mesopterygial and 20–23 metapterygial); no pectoral radials articulating directly with the scapulocoracoid between the meso- and metapterygium; pectoral radials segmented in up to five segments; at least 14 pairs of ribs; c. 21 basipterygial radials (including one compound radial); puboischiadic bar curved anteriorly; claspers long and slender; no fin spines present.
Type locality: Lower Tithonian; Kelheim, Bavaria, Germany.
Julia Türtscher, Patrick L. Jambura, Eduardo Villalobos-Segura, Faviel A. López-Romero, Charlie J. Underwood, Detlev Thies, Bruce Lauer, René Lauer and Jürgen Kriwet. 2024. Rostral and Body Shape Analyses reveal Cryptic Diversity of Late Jurassic batomorphs (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from Europe. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1552
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