A rare elasmobranch assemblage from the Valanginian (Lower Cretaceous) of southern France

Bulk sampling of a Valanginian indurate limestone horizon from southern France yielded a very high-diversity shark and ray assemblage. Thirteen new species and eight new genera (Antrigoulia circumplicata gen. et sp. nov., Gladioserratus dentatus sp. nov., Occitanodus sudrei gen. et sp. nov., Echinorhinus vielhus sp. nov., Pseudorhina crocheti sp. nov., Paracestracion pectinatus sp. nov., Ornatoscyllium rugasimulatum sp. nov., Garrigascyllium aganticensis gen. et sp. nov., Magistrauia unicaplicata gen. et sp. nov., Parahemiscyllium underwoodwardi gen. et sp. nov., Archaeogaleus lengadocensis gen. et sp. nov., Thiesus concavus gen. et sp. nov., Cadiera camboensis gen. et sp. nov.) are described among a total diversity of 26 species, 24 genera and one undetermined taxon. This is the second Valanginian elasmobranch assemblage known so far and is a rare evidence of Mesozoic outer-platform marine chondrichthyan diversity. Comparison of this assemblage with 16 other Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas indicates that the French fauna shares more similarities with Jurassic faunal compositions. The number of new familial occurrences (Carcharhinidae, Echinorhinidae, Pseudorhinidae) and uncommon dominance of hexanchiform taxa (mainly Welcommia bodeuri and Paraorthacodus jurensis) are due to the poor representation of corresponding depositional settings in the Mesozoic elasmobranch fossil record.