The first Triassic elasmobranch teeth from the Southern Hemisphere (Canterbury, New Zealand)

The Triassic record of modern sharks, rays, and skates (Elasmobranchii) is scattered and geographically biased towards the Northern Hemisphere and Europe in particular. Here, we report the first Triassic elasmobranch teeth from the Southern Hemisphere, originating from Norian strata of New Zealand. The teeth are few in numbers but relatively well preserved and indicate the presence of three different taxa, that all can be included in the extinct order Synechodontiformes. Different dental characters and combinations of characters suggest that the teeth represent previously undescribed species with apparently no close relatives in the Triassic elasmobranch record from the Northern Hemisphere.