Kingdom Animalia Class Chondrichthyes Species Pucapristis branisi Rank Genus | Phylum Chordata Order Pristiformes Scientific name Pucapristis branisi | |
Similar Micropristis, Libanopristis, Onchosaurus, Sawfish, Sclerorhynchus | ||
Pucapristis is a prehistoric genus of saw fish whose fossils first appear in the fossil record in rocks dating from the Maastrichtian stage. Fossils of Pucapristis have not been found in any subsequent strata. Incidentally, the Maastrichtian is the final portion of the Cretaceous Period and its endpoint marks the advent of the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. This major geological transition is famous for being the mass extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs.
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Species
Only one species has been thus far described.
Biogeography
To date, Pucapristis fossils have been found only in the Maastrichtian deposits of central South America. The El Molino Formation of Bolivia produces Pucapristis tooth fossils in abundance. These Bolivian specimens have been recovered near the cities of Potosi and Sucre The Salta province of northwestern Argentina is another locality from which Pucapristis remains can be excavated.