Scheenstia

Scheenstia
Temporal range: Late JurassicEarly Cretaceous, 150–125 Ma
Fossil specimen of S. maximus
Lower jaw with teeth of Scheenstia sp. scale bar = 1 cm
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Lepisosteiformes
Family: Lepidotidae
Genus: Scheenstia
López-Arbarello & Sferco, 2011
Type species
Scheenstia zappi
López-Arbarello & Sferco, 2011
Species[1]
  • S. mantelli (Agassiz, 1833)
  • S. laevis (Agassiz, 1837)
  • S. maximus (Wagner, 1863)
  • S. decoratus (Wagner, 1863)
  • S. degenhardti (Branco, 1885)
  • S. hauchecornei (Wagner, 1863)
  • S. zappi López-Arbarello & Sferco, 2011
  • S. bernissartensis (Traquair, 1911)
Fossil of S. maximus

Scheenstia is an extinct genus of freshwater and marine ray-finned fish from the Upper JurassicLower Cretaceous of Europe. The teeth of this genus are called "toadstones" and were believed to be found in the head of a toad. It is part of a family called the Lepidotidae in the order Lepisosteiformes. It is related to the much better-known Lepidotes.

Appearance

A large fish, Scheenstia, could exceed one meter. It had a robust body and rounded teeth, perfect for squashing hard-bodied animals. It was probably a relatively slow swimmer. The body shape resembles the famous Lepidotes.

Life reconstruction of S. maximus
The teeth of Scheenstia. The teeth were historically known as toadstones.

References

  1. López-Arbarello 2012, p. e39370.

Sources