Palaeospinacid selachians from the Late Cretaceous of the Kristianstad Basin, Skåne, Sweden

Abstract: A rich palaeospinacid selachian fauna, comprising 1141 isolated teeth, has recently been collected from the latest Early Campanian strata ofthe Kristianstad Basin. Four palaeospinacid species have been found: Synechodus perssoni nov.sp., Synechodus lerichei Herman 1977, Paraorthacodus andersoni (Case 1978) and Paraorthacodus conicus (Davis 1890). The recovered material suggests that only ontogenetic and mainly monognathic heterodonty occurred within the family. Of the total macro-tooth (> 2 mm) selachian fauna, collected at the main site and comprising 3717 teeth, 27 % belong to the supposedly mainly fish and cephalopod eating P. conicus. Apparently, this, as group extinct since the Paleocene, shark species competed successfully with co-existing and dentally (crown morphology) similar odontaspidids.