Australopristis

Australopristis; Temporal range: Campanian – Maastrichtian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Sclerorhynchiformes
Family:	Sclerorhynchidae
Genus:	Australopristis; Martill and Ibrahim, 2012
Type species
	†Australopristis wiffeni; Martill and Ibrahim, 2012
Synonyms
	Onchopristis dunklei praecursor; Thurmond, 1971;

Australopristis is an extinct genus of sawfish from the late Cretaceous epoch.^[1] Its name is derived from the Latin for "southern" and the Greek for "saw". It is known from a single species, A. wiffeni named for the late prominent fossil hunter Joan Wiffen. This species is currently known only from rostral teeth found at and East Wing, Haumuri bluff, New Zealand. It's rostral teeth possess a smooth root which makes it unique among Sclerorhynchids. Rostral teeth appear to vary in morphology according to position and ontogenetic stage. Unlike the related Onchopristis and Atlanticopristis, it lives in a marine rather than fluvial environment and likely preferred cooler waters.^[2]

References[]

^ "Fossilsawfish.com". Fossilsawfish.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
^ Martill, David M.; Ibrahim, Nizar (2012-02-14). "Aberrant rostral teeth of the sawfish Onchopristis numidus from the Kem Kem beds (?early Late Cretaceous) of Morocco and a reappraisal of Onchopristis in New Zealand". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 64: 71–76. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2011.11.009. ISSN 1464-343X.

[1] "Fossilsawfish.com". Fossilsawfish.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.

[2] Martill, David M.; Ibrahim, Nizar (2012-02-14). "Aberrant rostral teeth of the sawfish Onchopristis numidus from the Kem Kem beds (?early Late Cretaceous) of Morocco and a reappraisal of Onchopristis in New Zealand". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 64: 71–76. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2011.11.009. ISSN 1464-343X.

[1]

[2]