Plagiostomata of the Pacific. Pt. I. Fam. Heterodontidae / by N. de Miklouho-Maclay and William Macleay.
- Nicholas Miklouho-Maclay
- Date:
- [1878]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Plagiostomata of the Pacific. Pt. I. Fam. Heterodontidae / by N. de Miklouho-Maclay and William Macleay. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.
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![fossiles, vol. Ill, tab. 27, figs. 9 and 11). In the posterior rows of both jaws the cusps of the teeth are not yet developed. In the jaws of a 418 mm. (16’4 in.) long young H. Phillipi, I found in the upper and lower jaw 20 vertical row of teeth. In the upper jaw, the two posterior rows had the character of the large pavement-like teeth, while in the lower, the three posterior rows shewed this character. In the upper jaw, it was the teeth of the last row that were the largest, on the lower, the second last. The longitudinal ridge was much more prominent in the posterior teeth of this young animal than in older speci- mens. In the middle row of the upper jaw I have counted six teeth, and five in each of the posterior rows; in the lower jaw, six teeth in the middle row, and six teeth in each of the posterior rows. The anterior teeth of the not fully adult Heterodontus (761 mm. long) are distinctly tri-cuspidate (vide fig. 10), while those of the adult become almost pavement-like, with an inconspicuous cusp (fig. 19, A. and B.). 2.—Dentition of the adult Heterodontus Phillipi. Bl. A drawing of the charactestic dentition of Heterodontus is given with the first description of the so-called “Port Jackson Shark.”* In different scientific works** there are to be found good figures of the teeth of H. Phillipi, and I would certainly not have been satisfied with so few drawings had I not the intention of writing further on this subject. A few points, not yet decided, prevent me from publishing my results at the present time. I will confine myself here to only a few remarks. The number of the teeth, as well as the general form, is, on a cursory glance, almost the same in both jaws, but a closer inspection shows a difference in both those respects between the upper and lower jaws, and also between different individuals. In one case, I have counted altogether 84 vertical rows in the upper jaw, and 31 in * (Vide the Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay. London, MDCCLXXXIX, page 283. ** L. Agassiz. Recherchea sur lea Poissona foasilca, tome III, 1833-43, tab D., figs. 11-19. R. Owen. Odontography (1840-46) platea 10 and 11; and the works of various other authors. [18]](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b22367913_0020.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
