Abstract Sir Arthur Smith Woodward published many scientific works on fossil fishes from Brazil, among them the description of 14 new species and the redefinition of two lectotypes. This paper provides an illustrated, taxonomic update on the following taxa, together with comments on their repository and other relevant remarks: Lissodus nitidus ( Woodward, 1888 ), Rhinoptera prisca Woodward, 1907 , ‘ Lepidotes ’ mawsoni Woodward, 1888 , ‘ Lepidotes ’ souzai Woodward, 1908 a , Calamopleurus mawsoni ( Woodward, 1902 ), ‘ Belonostomus ’ carinatus Mawson & Woodward, 1907 , Paleopiquitinga brasiliensis ( Woodward, 1939 ), Lignobrycon ligniticus ( Woodward, 1898 ), Brycon avus ( Woodward, 1898 ), Steindachneridion iheringi ( Woodward, 1898 ), Scombroclupeoides scutata ( Woodward, 1908 a ), Macracara prisca Woodward, 1939 , Mawsonia gigas Woodward, 1907 , Mawsonia minor Woodward, 1908 a ; Vinctifer comptoni ( Agassiz, 1841 ) and Notelops brama ( Agassiz, 1841 ).

An examination of freshwater euselachian fossils from the Maastrichtian lower and upper Hell Creek Formation, and the Bug Creek Anthills (Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary), and the early Paleocene (Puercan) Tullock Member of the Fort Union Formation of Montana, USA, revealed seven taxa: Lonchidion selachos , Protoginglymostoma estesi , Chiloscyllium , Restesia americana , Ischyrhiza avonicola , Myledaphus pustulosus n. sp., and Dasyatis (Dasyatidae). Squatirhina americana is redescribed to the new genus Restesia based on unique crown morphology. Dasyatis is only reported from the Paleocene. This is in contrast to the other collected taxa, which are only known from the Cretaceous. Ischyrhiza is not reported in our samples from the Hell Creek Formation despite earlier erroneous claims; however, the taxon is present in a sample from the Bug Creek Anthills. We suggest that this taxon infrequently moved into the freshwater rivers to forage. Lonchidion selachos occurs only in the upper Hell Creek Formation, and we hypothesize that the upper Hell Creek localities were deposited during a warm interval, as the paleodistribution of L. selachos shifted significantly to the north during warmer periods in the Santonian and Campanian. Of the taxa found in the Hell Creek Formation and the Bug Creek Anthills, only Myledaphus is found in Paleogene deposits; however, specimens are extremely rare. The occurrence of Myledaphus in the Paleogene is suggested to be due to the occurrence of reworked material.