| Heptranchias howelli | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Subdivision: | Selachimorpha |
| Order: | Hexanchiformes |
| Family: | Hexanchidae |
| Genus: | Heptranchias |
| Species: | H. howelli |
| Binomial name | |
| Heptranchias howelli Reed, 1946 [1] | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Heptranchias howelli, the sevengill shark, is a nektonic carnivore in the genus Heptranchias . It is an extinct species that ranged from 37.2 to 20.43 Ma. [3]
Teeth from Heptranchias howelli have been found in Europe. An antero-lateral tooth and an upper lateral tooth were found in Faxe, Denmark in 2014 . In addition, two incomplete antero-lateral teeth and an upper anterior tooth are kept in a private collection. [4] A 2015 study in Trelde Næs yielded a complete lower tooth, 17 incomplete lower teeth, and an unidentified broken tooth. [5]
The upper lateral teeth of the species have a long, acute, strongly sigmoid main cusp. This cusp is serrated and has a dispal cusplet. The main cusp of the antero-lateral teeth is triangular and carries eight mesial cusplets that increase in size along the lower mesial face. The antero-lateral teeth have six main cusplets, the sixth of which is very small. The first cusplet is slightly lower than the others. [4] The cusps are inclined at about a 45-degree angle distally.
The largest tooth found in Trelde Naes was 17.5 millimetres (0.69 in) mesio-distally, 8.5 millimetres (0.33 in) apico-basally and 4.5 millimetres (0.18 in) labio-langually. The root height ranged from 3 to 5 millimetres (0.12 to 0.20 in). [5]
Fossils of Heptranchias howelli have been found in: [3]
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The sharpnose sevengill shark, also known as one-finned shark, perlon shark, sevengill cow shark, sharpsnouted sevengill or slender sevengill, is a species of shark in the family Hexanchidae, and the only living species in the genus Heptranchias. Found almost circumglobally in deep water, it is one of the few species of sharks with seven pairs of gill slits as opposed to the usual five. The other shark species with seven gill slits is the broadnose sevengill shark. Though small, this shark is an active, voracious predator of invertebrates and fish. When caught, this species is notably defensive and will attempt to bite. It is of minor commercial importance.
Dental anatomy is a field of anatomy dedicated to the study of human tooth structures. The development, appearance, and classification of teeth fall within its purview. Tooth formation begins before birth, and the teeth's eventual morphology is dictated during this time. Dental anatomy is also a taxonomical science: it is concerned with the naming of teeth and the structures of which they are made, this information serving a practical purpose in dental treatment.
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