The anatomical arrangements of the coronary arteries were compared in
36 species from eight orders of elasmobranchs and one species of holoc
ephalians, Two main patterns of the coronary trunks are defined in the
conus arteriosus. A dorsal and a ventral coronary trunk are present i
n lamnoid and carcharhinoid representatives (except in scyliorhinids),
while two lateral coronary trunks are always observed in the holoceph
alian, hexanchoid, squaloid, squatinoid, scyliorhinid and batoid repre
sentatives. Posterior coronary arteries arising from subclavian branch
es are recorded only in rajoid and myliobatoid specimens. We propose t
hat both the dorsoventral coronary trunk pattern and the presence of p
osterior coronary arteries are apomorphic. Thus, the phylogenetic anal
ysis of these character-states supports the view that lamnoids are the
sister-group of advanced carcharhinoids (carcharhinids and sphyrnids)
, sharing the dorsoventral coronary trunk pattern as a synapomorphy.