Bruce and Rene’ Lauer of the Lauer Foundation have co-authored another research paper, with lead author Christopher J. Duffin from the Natural History Museum in London – Department of Earth Sciences as the lead author. The study looked at Chimaeropsis paradoxa which is a holocephalian, a lesser-known group of ancient sharks. The paper was recently published in the journal Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie – Abhandlungen.

Abstract: Chimaeropsis paradoxa (Family Chimaeropsidae, Suborder Myriacanthoidei) is a particularly rare, poorly known holocephalian from the Tithonian (Late Jurassic) of the Solnhofen area. A holomorphic female specimen displaying soft parts and represented by both part and counterpart is described, permitting an initial reassessment of the relationships of the genus. C. paradoxa has a short rostrum, a skull that is around 25% of the total body length, the presence of five sets of cranial dermal plates, a tuberculated fin spine, scale-covered body and homocercal tail. Chimaeropsis is compared to the Plattenkalk chimaeroids Ischyodus egertoni and Elasmodectes avitus, and all other myriacanthoid genera.

Keywords: Solnhofen; Plattenkalk; Tithonian; Late Jurassic; Myriacanthoidei; Chimaeriformes; fossil species