Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
Among the genera of spiny sharks most useful for fossil dating is Acanthodes, of the order Acanthodiformes, which attained worldwide distribution. Species of Acanthodes grew to be about 30 centimetres (about 12 inches) long and in many respects represent a specialized form, losing many of the traits characteristic of the acanthodians. The spiny shark’s head was small compared with...
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