Australosomus

Summary

Australosomus (meaning "southern body") is an extinct genus of prehistoric ray-finned fish that lived during the Early Triassic epoch in what is now Greenland, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, South Africa and Canada (British Columbia).[3][4][1]

Australosomus
Temporal range: Early Triassic[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Pholidopleuriformes
Family: Pholidopleuridae
Genus: Australosomus
Pivetau, 1930
Type species
Pristisomus merlei
Priem, 1924
Other species[2]
  • A. altisquamosus Beltan, 1980
  • A. kochi Stensiö, 1932
  • A. longirostris Beltan 1968
  • A. merlei (Priem, 1924)
  • A. pholidopleuroides Nielsen, 1949
  • A. simplex Nielsen, 1949
  • A. stockleyi Haughton, 1936
Australosomus merlei fossil

The type species, Australosomus merlei from Madagascar, was first described as Pristisomus merlei by Ferdinand Priem. A new genus, Australosomus, was later erected for this species by Jean Piveteau.[5]

Australosomus is one of many genera to arise after the Permian-Triassic extinction event, only to die out during the Early Triassic,[4] possibly during a subsequent extinction event.[3]

Most species were marine, except for the African species, which were found in freshwater deposits.

Apprearance edit

Australosomus is an elongate fish. The interlocking scales (3 to 4 times long as wide), deeply forked caudal fin all help to distinguish this genus.[6] It achieved standard lengths of about 100 mm (3.9 in) to 310 mm (12 in).[4]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  2. ^ "Part 7- Vertebrates". Collection of genus-group names in a systematic arrangement. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  3. ^ a b Ludvigsen, Rolf & Beard, Graham. 1997. West Coast Fossils: A Guide to the Ancient Life of Vancouver Island. pg. 78-79
  4. ^ a b c Romano, Carlo; Koot, Martha B.; Kogan, Ilja; Brayard, Arnaud; Minikh, Alla V.; Brinkmann, Winand; Bucher, Hugo; Kriwet, Jürgen (2016). "Permian-Triassic Osteichthyes (bony fishes): diversity dynamics and body size evolution". Biological Reviews. 91 (1): 106–147. doi:10.1111/brv.12161. PMID 25431138. S2CID 5332637.
  5. ^ Piveteau, Jean (1930). "Particularités structurales d'un type nouveau de poisson fossile des formations permo-triasiques du nord de Madagascar". Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences (in French). 191: 456–458.
  6. ^ Nielsen, Eigil (1949). "Studies on Triassic fishes from East Greenland 2. Australosomus and Birgeria". Palaeozoologica Groenlandica. 3: 1–309.