Project 717: M. Zhu, X. Yu, J. Lu, T. Qiao, W. Zhao, L. Jia. 2012. Earliest known coelacanth skull extends the range of anatomically modern coelacanths to the Early Devonian. Nature Communications. 3 (772).
Specimen: Euporosteus (IVPP/V17682:1)

Abstract

Coelacanths are known for their evolutionary conservatism, and the body plan seen in Latimeria can be traced to late Middle Devonian Diplocercides, Holopterygius and presumably Euporosteus. However, the group's early history is unclear because of an incomplete fossil record. Until now, the only Early Devonian coelacanth is an isolated dentary (Eoactinistia) from Australia, whose position within the coelacanths is unknown. Here we report the earliest known coelacanth skull (Euporosteus yunnanensis sp. nov.) from the Early Devonian (late Pragian) of Yunnan, China. Resolved by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses as crownward of Diplocercides or as its sister taxon, the new form extends the chronological range of anatomically modern coelacanths by about 17 Myr. The finding lends support to the possibility that Eoactinistia is also an anatomically modern coelacanth, and provides a more refined reference point for studying the rapid early diversification and subsequent evolutionary conservatism of the coelacanths.


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Project DOI: 10.7934/P717, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P717
This project containsMatrices
  • 2 Media
  • 1 Matrix
  • 1 Document
  • 29 Taxa
  • 2 Specimens
  • 101 Characters
Total size of project's media files: 110.72k

Download Project SDD File
Total scored cells: 2342
Total media associated with cells: 0
Total labels associated with cell media: 0
Characters
Total characters: 101
Total characters with associated media: 0
Total characters with media with labels: 0
Total character states: 209
Total character states with associated media: 0
Total character states with media with labels:0
Total unordered/ordered characters:101/0
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MorphoBank Project 717

    Authors' Institutions

    • Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), CAS



    Members

    member name taxa specimens media chars character
    media
    labels
    cell scorings
    (scored, NPA, "-")
    cell
    medialabels
    rules
    MorphoBank Curator
    Project Administrator
    2922101002342
    (2342, 0, 0)
    000
    Maureen Admin
    Full membership
    0000000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000
    Zhu Min
    Full membership
    0000000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000
    Tuo Qiao
    Full membership
    0000000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000


    Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M1644' (29 Taxa)

    taxon unscored
    cells
    scored
    cells
    no cell
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    NPA
    cells
    "-" cellscell images labels on
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    [1] Actinopterygii
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    19888200004
    [2] Porolepiformes
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    91029200004
    [3] Axelrodichthys
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    111039000004
    [4] Caridosuctor
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    27867400004
    [5] Chinlea
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    44675700004
    [6] Coccoderma
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    23917800004
    [7] Coelacanthus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    32796900004
    [8] Diplocercides
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    111049000004
    [9] Diplurus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    121038900004
    [10] Allenypterus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    35806600004
    [11] Holopterygius
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    78232300004
    [12] Euporosteus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    78232300004
    [13] Gavinia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    68393300004
    [14] Garnbergia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    76332500004
    [15] Hadronector
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    31797000004
    [16] Holophagus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    28867300004
    [17] Latimeria
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    111410000004
    [18] Laugia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    81079300004
    [19] Libys
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    35766600004
    [20] Lochmocercus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    52564900004
    [21] Macropoma
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    81079300004
    [22] Mawsonia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    37746400004
    [23] Miguashaia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    41696000004
    [24] Polyosteorhynchus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    32796900004
    [25] Rhabdoderma
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    21139900004
    [26] Sassenia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    32816900004
    [27] Spermatodus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    34766700004
    [28] Undina
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    16958500004
    [29] Whiteia
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    61099500004


    Project views

    type number of views Individual items viewed (where applicable)
    Total project views38906
    Project overview3847
    Matrix views2882Matrix landing page (2430 views); Coelacanths matrix (452 views);
    Media views7168Media search (5469 views); M107727 (858 views); M107726 (841 views);
    Documents list1989
    Specimen list3878
    Bibliography1277
    Taxon list17865




    Project downloads

    type number of downloads Individual items downloaded (where applicable)
    Total downloads from project321
    Document downloads1Copyright information for exemplar media (1 download);
    Project downloads308
    Matrix downloads11Coelacanths matrix (11 downloads);
    Media downloads1M107727 (1 download);