Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966 )

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966)

Plate 3, Figs 18–34

Catulus ( Scyllum) af. [ sic] minutissimus (Winkler) — Zbyszewski & Almeida 1950: 348 ( partim), pl. 7, fig. 124 (not 125, 126). Galeorhinus View in CoL af. [ sic] minutissimus Arambourg— Serralheiro 1954: 72 , pl. 2, figs 69–70.

* Galeorhinus pulchellus Jonet 1966: 80 , pl. 4, figs 11–12, 86–78.

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) emend.— Antunes & Jonet 1970: 169, pl. 12, figs 68–74.

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) — Cappetta 1970: 68, pl. 18, figs 19–31.

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) — Jonet 1978: 30, pl. 1, fig. 15.

Paragaleus pulchellus (Jonet) — Antunes et al. 1981: 18, pl. 3, fig. 2.

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) — Cappetta 1987: 118, pl. 18, figs 101j, k.

Paragaleus antunesi Balbino & Cappetta, 2000: 1 , pl. 1, figs 1–10.

Paragaleus antunesi Balbino & Cappetta, 2000 — Antunes & Balbino 2004: 83, figs 5d, h–l, 6a–d.

Paragaleus View in CoL cf. Paragaleus antunesi ( Jonet, 1966) — Reinecke et al. 2011: 60, pls 61, 62.

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) — Cappetta 2012: 298, text-figs 279j, k.

Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) — Schultz 2013: 93, pl. 10, figs 8a, b, 10a, b.

Material. 127 isolated teeth. NHMW 2025 View Materials /0177/0010 ( 23 specimens) .

Description. The species is strongly dignathic heterodont. The upper anterior teeth ( Pl. 3, fig. 18) possess a slightly distally inclined principal cusp that is twice as high as its base width and an almost straight mesial cutting edge, but a slightly convex distal one. The mesial cutting edge bares a serration of three cusplets at its basal end and the distal cutting edge has a coarser serration of up to six cusplets at its basal end. The root is divided into two root lobes by a deep central groove and diverge at an angle of 100°. In the following teeth ( Pl. 3, figs 19–26) the principal cusp gradually become more inclined, the mesial cutting edge becomes convex and loses its mesial serration, and the root lobes become more diverged.

The lower dentition possesses a parasymphyseal tooth ( Pl. 3, fig. 27) that has an upright principal cusp, slightly constricted at the base, the mesial cutting edge slightly more concave than the distal one. The mesial cutting edge has one cusplet at its basal end. The distal one carries a coarse serration of four small cusplets at its basal end that rapidly diminish in size. The root is divided into two root lobes by a deep central groove. The distal lobe is slightly larger than the mesial one. The following anterior teeth ( Pl. 3, figs 28–30) present an inclined principal cusp at approximately 10°, the straight mesial cutting edge with two small cusplets near its base and an also straight distal one with four small cusplets.

The lateral teeth ( Pl. 3, figs 31–34) possess a more inclined principal cusp with a smooth sigmoidal mesial cutting edge and up to eight cusplets. The more posterior teeth possess a strongly curved principal cusp with a strongly convex mesial cutting edge and about four distal cusplets. The mesial cusplets disappear whilst the root lobes gradually become more divergent, up to 110°.

Discussion. The genus Paragaleus comprises two extinct species: Paragaleus antunesi Balbino & Cappetta, 2000 and Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) . Comparing their original descriptions and figures distinction is difficult. Jonet (1966) illustrated seven teeth that he considered to be three lower and four upper teeth of Paragaleus pulchellus . Balbino & Cappetta (2000) illustrated 22 teeth that they considered to be ten lower and 12 upper teeth of Paragaleus antunesi . Comparing the figures in both works, three figured specimens are very similar: Jonet (1966), pl. 3, fig. 20 upper = Balbino & Cappetta (2000) pl. 1, fig. 8 upper; Jonet (1966), pl. 3, fig.12 lower = Balbino & Cappetta (2000) pl. 1, fig. 7 lower; Jonet (1966), pl. 3, fig.16 lower = Balbino & Cappetta (2000), pl. 1, fig. 5, upper.

Jonet (1966) figures significantly less specimens than Balbino & Cappetta (2000) and some teeth that he figured as lower teeth are very likely upper ones. Only a few teeth actually can be considered to be lower teeth and many are lacking. Therefore, based on the very small morphological differences between Paragaleus antunesi Balbino & Cappetta (2000) and Paragaleus pulchellus ( Jonet, 1966) , and possible intraspecific variations, we consider Paragaleus antunesi to be a junior synonym of P. pulchellus .

Paragaleus pulchellus is one of the best represented species in the study assemblage. It is the fourth most abundant one in the bulk sample with 26 out of 319 specimens ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ) and the seventh most abundant in the search sample with 101 out of 2260 specimens ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). According to García et al. (2011), the present-day Paragaleus sharks occour in tropical shallow waters in the eastern Atlantic and in the western Pacific, as well as in the Indian Ocean.

Distribution. This extinct species is known from the entire Miocene fossil record ( Cappetta 2012). Lower Miocene: Paratethys, Austria ( Schultz 2013). Middle Miocene: western Proto-Mediterranean, southern France ( Cappetta 1987). Upper Miocene: Germany ( Villafaña et al. 2020), Portugal ( e.g., Antunes et al. 1981).

Distribution in Portugal. Lower Miocene: (Burdigalian) Lower Tagus Basin, Portugal ( Serralheiro 1954). Middle Miocene: (Langhian–Serravallian) Lower Tagus Basin ( Zbyszewski & Almeida 1950; Serralheiro 1954; Antunes & Jonet 1970); Algarve Basin, Lagos–Portimão Fm. ( Antunes et al. 1981). Upper Miocene: (Tortonian) Lower Tagus Basin, Portugal ( Serralheiro 1954; Antunes & Jonet 1970), Algarve Basin, Cacela Fm. (this paper); (Messinian) Alvalade Basin, Esbarrondoiro Fm. ( Balbino & Cappetta 2000; Antunes & Balbino 2004).