Banded guitarfish skull (Zapteryx exasperata). 000km to the waters off

000km to the waters off Southern Brazil and Argentina

two parietals (both left) and a sphenoid

Ancestor worship formed the core of the Mahongwe family group’s religious and social life

The bone has a slight gloss finish and appears to have had a coat of varnish or similar although this may have been original to prevent the bone from crumbling and could be easily removed with acetone

Banded guitarfish skull (Zapteryx exasperata). 000km to the waters offThis is a beautifully prepared and mounted skull of a banded guitarfish Zapteryx exasperata. The banded guitarfish is an elasmobranch related to the rays although the body shape is half way between rays and typical shark form. Their diet is animals living in the sand and mud such as crabs and shellfish. As you can see on the jaws of this skull, the teeth are flattened for crushing hard shells. This skull has come from a specimen that was caught for