Squalodontidae closely related to the South Asian river dolphin ("Platanista gangetica"). The genus "Squalodon" was named by French naturalist Jean-Pierre Sylvestre de Grateloup in 1840 based on a jaw fragment he thought belonged to a reptile. Fossils discovered later, nevertheless, showed that this was a toothed whale. In extant odontocetes, however, the dentition is atavistic with all teeth reduced to simple, undifferentiated conical shapes. In squalodonts the teeth resemble those of the archaic whales, Archaeoceti, with conical incisors anteriorly and low-crowned, serrated teeth posteriorly. Squalodontidae Squalodontidae or the shark-toothed dolphins is an extinct family of large toothed whales who had long
St. Pierre Island of "Casuarina equisetifolia" trees up 12 m (40 ft) high on its northwestern part, covering a third of the land area. The trees were originally planted as windbreak for the mining camp, and have unexpectedly thrived and spread. Most of the plant species once found on St Pierre are now gone, including the "Pisonia", Suicide Tree ("Cerbera odollam") and rosemallow ("Hibiscus tiliaceus"). Some "Pemphis acidula" might persist. By about 1960, it was noted that the most common herbaceous plant was "Stachytarpheta indica", while the introduced Indian Blanketflower ("Gaillardia pulchella") had established itself widely. Sisal ("Agave sisalana"), Chinese tiolet ("Asystasia gangetica"),