Palaeobates

Palaeobates is an extinct genus of prehistoric elasmobranchs in the order Hybodontiformes. It lived during the Triassic period.^[1] It was a small shark about 1 m (3.3 ft) long.^[2] Palaeobates had a grinding-type dentition, which it used to crush hard-shelled prey. The teeth exhibit an orthodont histology.

Palaeobates Temporal range: Triassic PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Early Triassic Palaeobates polaris from Svalbard - picture taken at Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zurich
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	†Hybodontiformes
Family:	†Acrodontidae
Genus:	†Palaeobates Meyer, 1849
Type species
†Psammodus angustissimus Agassiz in Alberti, 1834
Other species
†Palaeobates polaris Stensiö, 1921 †P. reticulatus Duffin, 1998 †P. verzilini Nessov & Kaznyshkin, 1988

Palaeoecology

Dental microwear analysis of P. angustissimus confirms that it was a durophagous predator.^[3]

Middle Triassic Palaeobates fossil

See also

• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish