Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 2, 2026

Gladbachus

Gladbachus is a possible genus of extinct chondrichthyan from the Middle Devonian Lower Plattenkalk of Germany.

Last revised
Jul 2, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
268 w
Citations
9
Source
Gladbachus
Temporal range:
Restoration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: incertae sedis
Genus: Gladbachus
Heidtke & Krätschmer, 20011
Species:
G. adentatus
Binomial name
Gladbachus adentatus
Heidtke & Krätschmer, 2001

Gladbachus is a possible23 genus of extinct chondrichthyan from the Middle Devonian Lower Plattenkalk of Germany.4

Discovery and naming

The holotype, UMZC 2000.32, was discovered in the Lower Plattenkalk of Unterthal, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany and it consists of a partial skull which has been compressed.15 Gladbachus adentatus was named and described by Heidtke & Krätschmer (2001).1

The holotype was redescribed by Coates et al. (2018).5

Description

Gladbachus has been estimated to reach around 80 centimetres (31 in) long when fully grown.5

References

References

  1. Heidtke, U.H.J. & Krätschmer, K. (2001) Gladbachus adentatus nov. gen. et sp., ein primitiver Hai aus dem Oberen Givetium (Oberes Mitteldevon) der Bergisch Gladbach-Paffrath-Mulde (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge). Mainzer geowissenschaftliche Mitteilungen, 30, 105–122
  2. IRMNG (2021). Gladbachus Heidtke & Krätschmer, 2001 †. Accessed at: https://www.irmng.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1169616 on 7 August 2024
  3. Gladbachus Heidtke & Krätschmer, 2001 in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 7 August 2024.
  4. Burrow, Carole J.; Turner, Susan (June 2013). "Scale structure of putative chondrichthyan Gladbachus adentatus Heidtke & Krätschmer, 2001 from the Middle Devonian Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, Germany". Historical Biology. 25 (3): 385–390. Bibcode:2013HBio...25..385B. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.722761. S2CID 85080290.
  5. Coates, Michael I.; Finarelli, John A.; Sansom, Ivan J.; Andreev, Plamen S.; Criswell, Katharine E.; Tietjen, Kristen; Rivers, Mark L.; La Riviere, Patrick J. (3 January 2018). "An early chondrichthyan and the evolutionary assembly of a shark body plan". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 285 (1870) 20172418. doi:10.1098/rspb.2017.2418. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 5784200.