Revision of the Eocene ‘ Platyrhina’ species from the Bolca Lagerst atte (Italy) reveals the first panray (Batomorphii: Zanobatidae) in the fossil record Author Marram ̀, Giuseppe Universita degli Studi di Torino, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125 Torino, Italy; & University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Author Carneval, Giorgio Author Claeso, Kerin M. Author Naylo, Gavin J. P. Author Kriwe, Jurgen text Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 2020 2020-07-13 18 18 1519 1542 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2020.1783380 journal article 10.1080/14772019.2020.1783380 1478-0941 PMC7455076 32939187 10932527 B4C7A979-7972-409B-B489-A6DDD5E35FE5 Genus † Plesiozanobatus gen. nov. Type species. † Torpedo egertoni De Zigno, 1876 . Diagnosis. Pectoral disc large and roughly rounded, representing 56–70% TL; tail stout and short, distinctly demarcated from the disc; two dorsal fins and caudal fin present; densely, closely set small dermal denticles forming a continuous pavement; large, rounded, scattered thorns covering the entire disc and tail; rostral cartilage absent; nasal capsules laterally expanded without horn-like processes; long propterygia extending near the anterior margin of the disc; mesopterygium absent; about 65–75 pectoral radials; puboischiadic bar narrow and moderately arched; approximately 20 pelvic-fin rays; 80–90 vertebrae; about 10 pairs of ribs. Derivation of name. From the Ancient Greek word pλGR ί o u ( pl̄eśıon ) meaning ‘near’ or ‘close’, and Zanobatus , to remark upon its close relationship with the living panray genus. Included species. Type species only. Remarks. De Zigno (1876) considered that the overall similarity of the disc shape and the absence of a tail sting on the holotypic specimen MGP-PD 154Z justified the assignment of this species to the genus Torpedo . Later, Jaekel (1894) , analysing additional, better preserved material, assigned the species † T. egertoni to Platyrhina . However, he noticed that the fossil species from Bolca might have been more closely related to Platyrhina schoenleinii than to Platyrhina sinesensis because of the general shape and proportions of the body and disc, as well as the arrangement of the pectoral radials and gill arches. Platyrhina schoenleinii is currently recognized as Zanobatus schoenleinii (see Compagno 1999).