Taxonomic revision of Asialepidotus shingyiensis Su, 1959 (Halecomorphi, Holostei) from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) of Guizhou and Yunnan, China

Authors

  • Guang-Hui Xu Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
  • Xin-Ying Ma University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

Keywords:

Triassic, Ionoscopiformes, osteology, phylogeny, South China

Abstract

The holostean fish Asialepidotus shingyiensis, from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) of Guizhou and Yunnan, China, was previously regarded as either a semionotiform ginglymodian or an amiiform halecomorph. This study provides a revision of this taxonomically controversial taxon based on a comparative study including the holotype and 50 new specimens. Newly recognized anatomical information includes the dermal component on the sphenotic, complete series of circumorbital bones, palatal bones, quadratojugal, hyomandibula, sensory canal in the maxilla, notched posterior margin of the maxilla, median gular, and many elements on the medial surface of the lower jaw. Results of a cladistic analysis incorporating these new data place Asialepidotus as an ionoscopiform halecomorph that is more derived than Subortichthys and Panxianichthys, and consists of the sister taxon of Robustichthys and all other ionoscopiforms.

References

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Published

30-06-2017

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2017): JANUARY - JUNE

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Articles

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