description Menaspis Overview
Menaspis is an extinct genus of holocephalian cartilaginous fish from the Permian period. Fossils are known from Europe, including the Kupferschiefer deposits, and show a distinctive head region with bony or mineralized armor associated with the skull. Although it is sometimes grouped informally with fossil sharks, Menaspis is a holocephalian, placing it on the cartilaginous-fish branch that also includes chimaeras.
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What exactly is Menaspis?
Menaspis is an extinct genus of holocephalian fish from the Permian period, meaning it sits on the branch of cartilaginous fish that leads toward modern chimaeras rather than toward sharks proper. Its most distinctive feature is heavy bony or mineralized armor associated with the skull.
Where have Menaspis fossils been found?
The best-known fossils come from the Kupferschiefer, the copper-bearing shale deposits of Europe, including deposits in Germany and Poland. These marine shales are a classic source of Late Permian fish fossils.
How old is Menaspis?
It lived during the Permian period, so its fossils are on the order of over 250 million years old. That places it tens of millions of years before the end-Triassic appearance of modern shark lineages.
Was Menaspis a shark?
Only in the loose sense: it was a holocephalian, a cartilaginous fish related to the group that includes today's chimaeras or ghost sharks. Its heavily armored, plate-covered head is very different from the streamlined, scale-armored bodies of true sharks.
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