Diversification in Polypteriformes and Special Comparison With the Lepisosteiformes

Polypteriformes (or Cladistia) and Lepisosteiformes (or Ginglymodi) are two groups of freshwater fishes with ganoid scales. The earliest fossil records of these taxa are Albian (Lepisosteiformes) and Cenomanian (Polypteriformes) respectively in Gondwana; they are still extant. The ‘first’ appearance...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palaeontology 2002-03, Vol.45 (2), p.361-376
Main Authors: Gayet, M., Meunier, F. J., Werner, C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cladistia
Cretaceous‐Recent
Freshwater
Ginglymodi
key innovation
Lepisosteiformes
palaeodiversification
Pangaea
Polypteriformes
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Summary:Polypteriformes (or Cladistia) and Lepisosteiformes (or Ginglymodi) are two groups of freshwater fishes with ganoid scales. The earliest fossil records of these taxa are Albian (Lepisosteiformes) and Cenomanian (Polypteriformes) respectively in Gondwana; they are still extant. The ‘first’ appearance of the two groups in the fossil record (explosive in polypteriforms, gradual in lepisosteiforms) as well as their evolutionary mode (diversification/disparity or replacement) is described in detail. The lepisosteiforms appear to show a rapid radiation of post‐Palaeozoic clades immediately upon origination, while the polypteriforms represent a counter‐example with their sudden diversification and their sudden acquisition of several ‘key innovations’.
ISSN:0031-0239
1475-4983
DOI:10.1111/1475-4983.00241