Rhinodipterus is an extinct genus of prehistoric dipnoan sarcopterygians or lobe-finned fish, that lived in the Devonian Period, between 416 and 359 million years ago. It is believed to have inhabited shallow, salt-water reefs,[1] and is one of the earliest known examples of marine lungfish. Research based on an exceptionally well-preserved specimen from the Gogo Formation of Australia[2] has shown that Rhinodipterus has cranial ribs attached to its braincase and was probably adapted for air-breathing to some degree as living lungfish are.[3] This could be the only case known for a marine lungfish with air-breathing adaptations.[4]
| Rhinodipterus | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Sarcopterygii |
| Class: | Dipnoi |
| Genus: | †Rhinodipterus Gross, 1956 |
See also
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References
edit- ^ "375 million year old fossil found". 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
- ^ Long & Trinajstic 2010
- ^ Clement, A. M.; Long, J. A.; Tafforeau, P.; Ahlberg, P. E. (2016-02-11). "The dipnoan buccal pump reconstructed in 3D and implications for air breathing in Devonian lungfishes". Paleobiology. 42 (2): 289–304. Bibcode:2016Pbio...42..289C. doi:10.1017/pab.2015.41. S2CID 87484464.
- ^ "Air-breathing adaptation in a marine Devonian lungfish". 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
- Clement, A. & Long, J.A. 2010. Air-breathing adaptation in a marine Devonian lungfish. Biology Letters 6: 509–512.
- Long, J.A. & Trinajstic, K. 2010. The Late Devonian Gogo Formation Lagerstatte –Exceptional preservation and Diversity in early Vertebrates. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 38: 665-680
External links
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