A middle Cenomanian euselachian assemblage from the Dunvegan Formation of northwestern Alberta

Abstract

A euselachian assemblage was recovered from the middle Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation situated in northwestern Alberta. This assemblage is the most northern described within the Western Interior Seaway and provides an important insight into the euselachian faunal diversity of this little-known region of the seaway. Despite its high paleolatitude, the assemblage contains a number of elasmobranch taxa, including Hybodus , Squalicorax , Archaeolamna , Cretodus , Dallasiella , and Cretoxyrhina . The Dunvegan assemblage also contains the first known reports from Canada of the odontaspid shark Johnlongia parvidens , the cretoxyrhinid shark Protolamna carteri , and the ray Pseudohypolophus mcnultyi . This assemblage extends the northern geographical range of all taxa. Preliminary comparisons with other middle Cenomanian Western Interior Seaway assemblages show that the core composition of the Dunvegan assemblage is remarkably similar to that of other time-equivalent assemblages; however, conspicuously absent are species that are exceedingly common in other localities situated farther south. We suggest that absence of these taxa from the Dunvegan localities may be caused by a temperature intolerance associated with latitude and sea-water circulation patterns, or by an inability to inhabit environments that exhibit salinity variation.