On the first occurrence of Anoxypristis (Pristidae, Elasmobranchii) in the Paleogene of Romania and southeastern Europe

Abstract

This study provides the first record of the genus Anoxypristis in Romania and in the whole of southeastern Europe based on two isolated rostral spines discovered in Priabonian deposits of the Transylvanian Basin. Assessment of the validity of previously described Paleogene species of Pristidae emphasizes the need for more rigorous taxonomic criteria based on more than isolated rostral spines. The paleoecological implications of the Romanian Anoxypristis specimens, considering the habitat preferences of the extant species and the depositional environments represented by the fossiliferous strata, point to a coastal or estuarine setting.