Ornithoprion

Or-nif-d-pree-on.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Ornithoprion (Bird saw).

Phonetic

Or-nif-d-pree-on.

Named By

Zangerl & Rainer - 1966.

Classification

Chordata, Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii, Selachimorpha, Eugeneodontida, Agassizodontidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

O. hertwigi

Size

Uncertain.

Known locations

USA, Indiana.

Time Period

Pennsylvanian of the Carboniferous.

Fossil representation

Teeth, skull.

In Depth

       Ornithoprion was a carboniferous shark that was also related to the sharks Edestus, perhaps better known as the Scissor toothed shark, and Helicoprion. In fact it was the discovery of Ornithoprion that allowed for a more accurate reconstruction of Helicoprion with how the distinctive tooth-whorl fitted inside the mouth.

Further Reading

– A New Shark of the Family Edstidae, Ornithoprion hertwigi from the Pennsylvanian Mecca and Logan Quarry Shales of Indiana. – Fieldiana Geology 16:1-44. – R. Zangerl – 1966.

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