WAPITIODIDAE, Mutter & Blanger & Neuman, 2007

Mutter, Raoul J., Blanger, Keith De & Neuman, Andrew G., 2007, Elasmobranchs from the Lower Triassic Sulphur Mountain Formation near Wapiti Lake (BC, Canada), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149 (3), pp. 309-337 : 312-313

ORDER INCERTAE SEDIS

FAMILY WAPITIODIDAE FAM. NOV.

Diagnosis: The posterior wall in the fin spine is either not vaulted or convex and possibly devoid of denticles; the tooth structure is remotely Polyacrodus -like with unicuspid mesial teeth (and blunt distal teeth), but the crowns lack either side cusps or cusplets altogether; primitive, single-layered enameloid is present.

Note: The structure of the pectoral and anal fin, the fin spines and the basal cartilages in the dorsal fins are interpreted as diagnostic for Wapitiodus gen. nov., and may be diagnostic for the family, but are probably a combination of plesiomorphic features present in various more primitive sharks and unknown in supposed closely related forms such as Polyacrodus bucheri ( Cuny, Rieppel & Sander, 2001) and Polyacrodus contrarius ( Johns, Barnes & Orchard, 1997; see the Discussion).

Taxa provisionally included: Wapitiodus gen. nov., P. bucheri ( Cuny et al. 2001) , P. contrarius ( Johns et al. 1997) . Several other species of Polyacrodus may justifiably be included in Wapitiodidae fam. nov. (see the Discussion), but their inclusion should be based on a thorough revision of the genus Polyacrodus .

CLASS CHONDRICHTHYES HUXLEY, 1880 SUBCLASS ELASMOBRANCHII BONAPARTE, 1838 SUPERFAMILY? HYBODONTOIDEA OWEN, 1846