Various Chondrichthyan Microfossil Faunas from the Lower Mississippian (Carboniferous) of Ireland

Abstract:Microscopic teeth of the chondrichthyan genera Denaea and Protacrodus together with a number of unclassified microscopic teeth attributed to 'Chondrichthyan Pavement Dentition' are described from the Mississippian (Tournaisian) rocks of Ireland. These have not been described before from Ireland. The microscopic teeth were extracted from crinoidal limestones or calcareous mudstones whose palaeoenvironments are interpreted as ranging from relatively deep offshore, through moderately shallow high-energy carbonate shelf to nearshore shallow water. The richest fauna has been recovered from the high-energy carbonate shelf facies with the 'cladodont' type only appearing within this facies, together with more numerous crushing dentition type teeth. The symmoriid and protacrodontid teeth are described to genus level, while the remaining crushing teeth are left in open nomenclature.