In Depth In 2004 the discovery of three fossils would help bridge one of the most important evolutionary gaps in the fossil record. These fossils were the first known representations of Tiktaalik, a creature that was not only a fish but also possessed the rudimentary features of the later tetrapods. Unlike other creatures which are … Read more
In Depth Foreyia is a genus of small coelacanth that lived in European waters during the middle Triassic. Further Reading - Heterochronic evolution explains novel body shape in a Triassic coelacanth from Switzerland. . Scientific Reports 7(13695):1-7. - L. Cavin, B. Mennecart, C. Obrist, L. Costeur & H. Furrer - 2017.
In Depth Ceratodus was one of the most wide ranging fish to ever live on the planet, both geographically and temporally. This distribution was possible because back in the Triassic the major land masses of the continents were still close together which allowed several types of animals, most famously the dinosaurs, to spread out across … Read more
In Depth Onychodus is a genus of large predatory fish that seems to have had a near global distribution during the Devonian period. Onychodus was a lobe-finned fish with a pair of tooth whorls that grew large tusk-like teeth. Onychodus was probably an ambush predator that would quickly dart out from cover to snatch unsuspecting … Read more
In Depth An extinct genus of lobe-finned fish, Mandageria was a streamlined predators of other fish. With the exception of the pectoral fins that are situated near the head, all of the other fins are located in more posterior locations towards the tail. Because these fins were here, they could help increase the surface area … Read more
In Depth Gooloogongia was a member of the Rhizodontida lone-finned fishes, and is noted as being one of the most primitive members of the group. Some rhizodontid fish are known to have grown up to and beyond lengths of six meters, though at just under one meter, Gooloogongia was quite a bit smaller than these. … Read more
In Depth Although the fins of Strunius were still supported by rays of thins spines, Strunius is still technically considered to be a lone-finned fish due to the form of the skull. The skull of Strunius was articulated with strong joints with a muscle attachment that allowed for the skull to be brought back so … Read more
In Depth A fairly small lobe-finned fish, Osteolepis is noted for having heavy bony scales, features that may have helped with buoyancy issues. Even more interesting though was an outer covering of cosmine, a slightly spongy bony material that is known to have covered the scales of lobe-finned fish. This cosmine had a series of … Read more
In Depth Dipterus is a genus of early lungfish that for a long time was thought only to have lived in Europe during the Devonian period. However, since another genus of fish named Catopterus became treated as a synonym to the genus, it now seems that the Dipterus existed all the way to the late … Read more
In Depth Macropoma is a specific genus of coelacanth. For clarification, a coelacanth is a word used to describe any fish that could be described as one of the Coelacanthiformes, but does not denote a specific species or genus. Macropoma is known to have lived during the late Cretaceous period, specifically around the Cenomanian and … Read more