New information about late cretaceous pycnodont fishes (Actinoptergyii, Pycnodontiformes) from the near east

Authors

  • John J. Cawley University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Geozentrum, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
  • Jürgen Kriwet University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Geozentrum, Althanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria

Keywords:

Neopterygii, Lebanon, Israel, Cenomanian, new species

Abstract

Over roughly the last decade, the Lebanese Cenomanian localities have revealed high numbers of newly discovered pycnodont taxa and even two new families of pycnodonts. Here, two new taxa of pycnodont fishes from the Near East are presented, one from Lebanon and the other from Israel. The new Lebanese specimens show us that Lebanon is still a major site for discovering new pycnodont taxa and can give major insights into their evolution and possible life history. Conversely, the new taxon from Israel shows that lesser known fossiliferous sites may tell us more about the true state of diversity of pycnodonts in the Late Cretaceous.

References

Cawley, J. J. and Kriwet, J. in press. A new pycnodont fish, Scalacurvichthys naishii gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous of Israel (Middle East). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology.

Haas, G. 1979. On a new Snakelike Reptile from the Lower Cenomanian of Ein Jabrud, near Jerusalem. Bulletin du Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris 1, 51-64.

Lewy, Z., Milner, A.C. and Patterson, C. 1992. Remarkably preserved natural endocranial casts of pterosaur and fish from the Late Cretaceous of Israel. Geological Survey of Israel Current research 7, 31-35.

Marrama, G., Villier, B., Dalla Vecchia, F. M. and Carnevale, G. 2016. A new species of Gladiopycnodus (Coccodontoidea, Pycnodontomorpha) from the Cretaceous of Lebanon provides new insights about the morphological diversification of pycnodont fishes through time. Cretaceous Research 61, 34-43.

Nursall, J. R. and Capasso, L. 2004. Gebrayelichthys (novum), an extraordinary genus of neopterygian fishes from the Cenomanian of Lebanon. In: Arratia, G. and Tintori, A. (Eds.), Mesozoic Fishes 3 - Systematics, Palaeoenvironments and Biodiversity. Verlag Dr F. Pfeil, Munich, pp. 317-340.

Poyato-Ariza, F.J. and Wenz, S. 2002. A new insight into pycnodontiform fishes.Geodiversitas 24, 139-248.

Raab M.E. and Chalifa Y.A. 1987. A new enchodontid fish genus from the Upper Cenomanian of Jerusalem, Israel. Palaeontology 30, 717-31.

Taverne, L. and Capasso, L. 2013. Gladiopycnodontidae, a new family of pycnodontiform fishes from the Late Cretaceous of Lebanon, with the description of three genera. European Journal of Taxonomy 57, 1–30.

Downloads

Published

30-06-2017