First finding of tooth of Ptychodus (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes) in moraine of the Kaliningrad Region
Abstract
For the first time, a find of an incomplete tooth (a fragment of the crown) belonging to a Cretaceous shark of the genus Ptychodus has been discovered in the Kaliningrad Region, within boulder-pebble material along the seashore near Zelenogradsk. Previously, the geographically closest remains of Ptychodus were known from Upper Cretaceous reworked deposits in Lithuania. The morphological features of the studied tooth suggest that it is a symphyseal tooth and may be classified as Ptychodus cf. latissimus Agassiz, 1835. This new find expands our knowledge of the distribution of Ptychodus during the Cretaceous period and enhances our understanding of the diversity of fossils found within the erratic boulders of the region.