Spathobatis had a body similar to that of a modern guitarfish, being highly flattened and widened, specializing the creature for a life on the ocean floor. Although it is one of the earliest known fossil rays, it already resembled modern forms in a number of ways. Like them, its eyes and spiracles were located atop the head, its mouth and gill slits were positioned on the underside of the body, and it had greatly expanded pectoral fins for swimming.[2]
Distinctive features of Spathobatis included flattened teeth, suitable for eating shellfish, and an elongated snout that was presumably used to probe for food on the muddy sea floor.[2]
ReferencesEdit
^Owen, Richard (1861). Palaeontology; or, A systematic summary of extinct animals and their geological relations. Edinburgh : A. and C. Black. p. 461.
^ abPalmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 28. ISBN1-84028-152-9.
This article about a prehistoric ray is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
spathobatis, from, greek, σπᾰ, θη, spáthē, blade, greek, βατίς, batis, extinct, genus, from, jurassic, period, europe, temporal, range, late, jurassic, preꞒ, bugesiacus, paläontologische, museum, münchenscientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, anima. Spathobatis from Greek spᾰ 8h spathe blade and Greek batis batis ray 1 is an extinct genus of ray from the Jurassic period of Europe SpathobatisTemporal range Late Jurassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NSpathobatis bugesiacus in the Palaontologische Museum MunchenScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ChondrichthyesSuperorder BatoideaOrder RhinopristiformesFamily Rhinobatidae Genus SpathobatisThiolliere 1849SynonymsAellopos Munster 1836 homonym Spathobatis had a body similar to that of a modern guitarfish being highly flattened and widened specializing the creature for a life on the ocean floor Although it is one of the earliest known fossil rays it already resembled modern forms in a number of ways Like them its eyes and spiracles were located atop the head its mouth and gill slits were positioned on the underside of the body and it had greatly expanded pectoral fins for swimming 2 Distinctive features of Spathobatis included flattened teeth suitable for eating shellfish and an elongated snout that was presumably used to probe for food on the muddy sea floor 2 References Edit Owen Richard 1861 Palaeontology or A systematic summary of extinct animals and their geological relations Edinburgh A and C Black p 461 a b Palmer D ed 1999 The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals London Marshall Editions p 28 ISBN 1 84028 152 9 This article about a prehistoric ray is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Spathobatis amp oldid 1166055981, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
