FIGURE 1. Generalized geographic map of the southeastern United States, with counties from which Pseudaetobatus teeth were recovered (highlighted in light gray). Specific localities indicated by black dots. 1, Whynot locality, Lauderdale County, MS; 2, site AWa-1, Washington County, AL; 3, site ABu-3, Butler County, AL; 4, site ADl-1, Dale County (type locality Pseudaetobatus belli ), AL; 5, Dry Branch localities, Aiken County, SC.
FIGURE 2. Chronostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy of lower-to-middle Eocene strata of eastern Mississippi and Alabama. Modified from Bybell and Gibson (1985).
FIGURE 3. Chronostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy of middle-to-upper Eocene strata of south-central South Carolina. Abbreviation: O’burg = Orangeburg.
FIGURE 4. Pseudaetobatus belli sp. nov. hypodigm from the type stratum within the lower Eocene (NP 13) Tallahatta Formation, Dale County, Alabama. 1, MSC 35048, lower median tooth, oblique lingual (1.1), occlusal (1.2), basal (1.3), labial (1.4), and lingual (1.5) views. 2, MSC 35054, lower right distal-most lateral tooth, occlusal (2.1), basal (2.2), distal (2.3), mesial (2.4), and labial (2.5) views. 3, MSC 35059, upper right distal-most lateral tooth, oblique lingual (3.1), occlusal (3.2), basal (3.3), and labial (3.4) views. 4, MSC 35062, intermediate lateral tooth, occlusal (4.1) (labial at top), lingual (4.2), labial (4.3), mesial (4.4), and distal (4.5) views. 5, MSC 35058, partial upper? median tooth, occlusal view. 6, Occlusal view of hypothetical reconstruction of part of the lower dentition. This consists of specimens shown in 1 (MSC 35048), 2 (MSC 35054), 4 (MSC 35062), and Figure 5.3 (MSC 35055). 2, 4, and Figure 5.3 were reduced in size to be consistent with 1. 4 was replicated and reversed to represent the left and right tooth rows. 2 and Figure 5.3 are from the right side but were reversed to represent the left side. The resulting composite series was then replicated. Scale bars equal 1.0 cm.
FIGURE 5. Pseudaetobatus belli sp. nov. from lower Eocene strata of Alabama and Mississippi. 1, MSC 12699.1, partial upper median tooth, baso-labial (1.1), lingual oblique (1.2), occlusal (1.3), and profile (1.4) views. 2, MSC 35078, partial lower median tooth, labial (2.1), lingual (2.2), lingual oblique (2.3), occlusal (2.4), and profile (2.5) views. 3, MSC 35055, lower right distal-most lateral tooth, basal (3.1), distal (3.2), labial (3.3), mesial (3.4), and occlusal (3.5) views. 4, MSC 35081, partial median tooth, basal (4.1), labial (4.2), lingual (4.3), lingual oblique (4.4), and profile (4.5) views. 5, MSC 35049, lower median tooth, occlusal view. 6, MSC 35071, partial lower median tooth, lingual oblique (6.1), and profile (6.2) views. 7, MSC 35050, lower median tooth, occlusal view. 8, MSC 35061, upper right distal-most lateral tooth, occlusal (8.1), and basal (8.2) views. 9, MSC 12776, upper right distal-most lateral tooth, basal (9.1), labial (9.2), lingual oblique (9.3), occlusal (9.4), distal (9.5), and mesial (9.6) views. 10 , MSC 35080, partial median tooth, lingual (10.1), lingual oblique (10.2), and occlusal (10.3) views. 11, MSC 35056, lower right distal-most lateral tooth, distal (11.1), labial (11.2), lingual (11.3), mesial (11.4), and occlusal (labial at left) (11.5) views. 12, MSC 35060, upper right distal-most lateral tooth, basal (12.1), labial (12.2), lingual oblique (12.3), occlusal (12.4), mesial (12.5), and distal (12.6) views. 13, MSC 35079, partial lower median tooth, lingual oblique (13.1), and occlusal (13.2) views. 14, MSC 35065, nearly complete lower median tooth, occlusal view. 15, MSC 35052, partial lower median tooth, occlusal view. Scale bars equal 1.0 cm.
FIGURE 6. Pseudaetobatus undulatus sp. nov. hypodigm and other specimens from the upper Eocene Dry Branch Formation, Aiken County, South Carolina. 1, SC 2013.38.91, upper right distal-most lateral tooth (holotype), basal (1.1), distal (1.2), labial (1.3), mesial (1.4), lingual oblique (1.5), and occlusal (1.6) views. 2, SC 2001.1.4.1, upper left distal-most lateral tooth, labial (2.1), lingual (2.2), and occlusal (2.3) views. 3, SC 2013.38.93.3, lower left distal-most lateral tooth, labial (3.1), lingual (3.2), and occlusal (3.3) views. 4 , SC 2001.1.5.2, intermediate lateral tooth (paratype), basal (4.1), distal (4.2), labial (4.3), mesial (4.4), lingual oblique (4.5), and occlusal (4.6) views. 5, SC 2001.1.5.1 (paratype), lower right distal-most lateral tooth, mesial (5.1), lingual oblique (5.2), distal (5.3), labial (5.4), and occlusal (5.5) views. 6, SC 2013.38.84, lower median tooth (paratype), lingual oblique (6.1), basal (6.2), and occlusal (6.3) views. 7, SC 2013.38.90, lower median tooth, lingual oblique view. 8, SC 2013.38.86, upper median tooth (paratype), (paratype), basal (8.1), baso-labial (8.2), and occlusal (8.3) views. 9, Occlusal view of hypothetical reconstruction of part of the upper dentition. This consists of specimens shown in 1 (SC 2001.1.5.2), and 8 (SC 2013.38.86. 1 and 4 were reduced in size to be consistent with 8, and they were reversed to also represent the right tooth rows. The resulting composite series was then replicated. 10, SC 2013.38.85, upper median tooth, occlusal view. Scale bars equal 0.5 cm.
FIGURE 7. Myliobatiform ray teeth associated with Pseudaetobatus in Alabama and South Carolina, comparative specimens of Aetobatus irregularis from Alabama, and late Eocene Rhinoptera sp. from Georgia. 1, Rhinoptera sp. (Tallahatta Formation), MSC 33915, incomplete median tooth, labial (1.1), lingual (1.2), and occlusal (1.3) views. 2, Rhinoptera sp. (Dry Branch Formation), SC 2001.1.12, lateral tooth, labial (2.1), lingual (2.2), and occlusal (2.3) views. 3, Rhinoptera sp. (Clinchfield Formation), SC 2013.44.8, lateral tooth, labial (3.1), lingual (3.2), and occlusal (3.3) views. 4, Aetomylaeus sp. (Tallahatta Formation), MSC 33931, incomplete lower median tooth, labial (4.1), lingual (4.2), and occlusal (4.3) views. 5, Aetomylaeus sp. (Dry Branch Formation), SC 2001.1, incomplete lower median tooth, labial (5.1), lingual (5.2), and occlusal (5.3) views. 6, Rhinoptera sp. (Clinchfield Formation), SC 2013.44.9, distal-most lateral tooth similar to Pseudaetobatu s sp., labial (6.1), lingual (6.2), and occlusal (6.3) views. 7-8, Aetobatus irregularis (Lisbon Formation). 7, SC 2012.47.24, incomplete lower median tooth, occlusal view. 8, SC 2012.47.26, left side of upper? median tooth, distal (8.1), labial (8.2), and occlusal (8.3) views. Scale bars equal 1.0 cm.
