Parahelicoprion
Parahelicoprion is an extinct genus of shark-like eugeneodontid holocephalids from the Permian of the Ural Mountains (Russia) and Copacabana Formation, Bolivia. The genus name, from "nearly coiled saw" in Greek, directly refers to Helicoprion, a related holocephalid that shares similar traits to it, including the helical whorl of teeth.
| Parahelicoprion Temporal range: Early Permian ~ | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Holocephali |
| Order: | †Eugeneodontida |
| Family: | †Helicoprionidae |
| Genus: | †Parahelicoprion Karpinsky, 1924 |
| Type species | |
| Helicoprion clerci Karpinsky, 1916 | |
| Species | |
| |
The holotype of Parahelicoprion is based on a poorly preserved material, so its size estimates along with those of some other large eugeneodonts are highly subjective due to their fragmentary fossil remains that cannot provide an empirical basis. While Karpinsky separated the type species from the genus Helicoprion, it has been recently suggested that this genus does represent a junior synonym of Helicoprion.