Carinacanthus fossil map
Where fossils of Carinacanthus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 215 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 215 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Ancient fish & sharks |
|---|---|
| Lived | 227.3–205.7 million years ago (Norian) |
| Periods | Triassic |
| Named by | Bryant 1934 |
| Fossil records | 2 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | United States |
| Rock formations | Lockatong |
About Carinacanthus
Carinacanthus ("keeled spine") is an extinct genus of small freshwater hybodont shark that inhabited eastern North America during the Triassic period. It contains a single species, C. jepseni from the Late Triassic (Norian)-aged Lockatong Formation of Pennsylvania, USA. It was named after paleontologist Glenn Lowell Jepsen. Some authors consider it a late-surviving ctenacanthiform.
It is a very rare taxon, with only two potential specimens known despite the well-studied nature of the Newark Supergroup deposits. The type specimen consists of a poorly-preserved axial skeleton, only about 130 millimetres (5.1 in) in length, which is missing the head but allows most of the post-cranial anatomy to be known, including the position of its two large spines and the presence of a heterocercal tail. In addition to this type specimen, a second potential specimen is known, consisting of a poorly-preserved head with only the jaw and teeth recognizable.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Carinacanthus (revision 1306941369), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q130301744.
