Cosmoselachus mehlingi

Cosmoselachus mehlingi is a new symmoriiform chondrichthyan from the Late Mississippian, represented by the partial holotype AMNH FF 20509 and recovered in the cited analysis as a falcatid within Symmoriiformes.

Cosmoselachus mehlingi is recorded from the Fayetteville Shale near Cove Creek in Searcy County, Arkansas, United States; this holotype locality does not establish a global distribution.

Cosmoselachus preserves teeth, branchial arches and partial pectoral fins in a marine Fayetteville Shale setting, but prey, habitat preference, locomotor performance, body size and trophic guild remain unresolved from the partial holotype.

Cosmoselachus has small cladodont teeth in widely spaced families, scalloped Meckel cartilages, elongate fused pharyngeal rays forming an operculum and approximately fifteen to eighteen distal fin radials.

The displayed 326 Ma point is the Late Mississippian Fayetteville Shale holotype sample for Cosmoselachus mehlingi and is not a global species FAD, LAD, symmoriiform endpoint or complete range.