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Early Mesozoic halecomorphs are highly diverse, but their taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships are still controversial. We describe here a new halecomorph taxon from the Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Nusplingen Lithographic Limestone, southern Germany. Sanctusichthys rieteri, gen. et sp. nov., is characterized by the peculiar patterns of skull roofing bones and cephalic sensory canals, and a unique squamation made of tiny lepisosteoid-type scales with extremely or completely reduced ganoin layer. Very peculiarly, S. rieteri presents a series of bones placed between the frontals and the anamestic supraorbitals, one of them carrying a portion of the main supraorbital sensory canal between the frontal and nasal bones. These bones, here called parafrontals, are so far unknown in other actinopterygians. The new taxon resembles most closely several Late Jurassic Furo-like halecomorphs, which have been classified in the family Furidae and are currently placed in either of the controversial orders Ophiopsiformes or Ionoscopiformes. The close phylogenetic relationships between these taxa are confirmed in a cladistic analysis that retrieves Sanctusichthys within a broadly defined Ionoscopiformes, including the potentially independent Ophiopsiformes. Interestingly, these Furo-like halecomorphs are highly diverse in the Late Jurassic deposits of southern Germany, and they are especially well represented—with four species accounting for 15% of the actinopterygian taxa—in the Nusplingen quarry, which yields one of the three most diverse Jurassic assemblages of these fishes. The paleoecological significance of this high diversity can only be explored after solving the β-taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of these Furo-like taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian) limestone quarry of Haqel, Lebanon, is home to one of the largest diversities of fossil actinopterygians in the Mesozoic, particularly of pycnodontiform fishes. Here, we describe a pycnodontiform fish, Flagellipinna rhomboides, gen. et sp. nov., from this locality based on four specimens. It is considered a member of the derived family Pycnodontidae due to the presence of a postparietal process. This taxon is distinct from other pycnodontids due to its diamond-shaped body, whip-like dorsal fin, postcloacal scales with forward-pointing spines, and acute anterior profile with a concave slope, giving it a 'hunchback' appearance. The prognathous snout armed with molariform teeth suggests that this pycnodont preyed on a variety of shelled animals from crevices. The smallest specimen is distinct in that it has a larger orbit size, no spines on the contour scales, poorly ossified skull roof bones, a notochord partially covered by arcocentra, and lacks whip-like filament on the dorsal fin, which suggest that it is a juvenile/subadult. The differences between the juvenile/subadult and other larger specimens suggest a change in ecological niche occupation during ontogeny, going from a generalized forager that lived in complex, reef habitats to moving into deeper waters to feed from crevices on the reef edge. These findings provide a more complete picture of the possible life history strategies that pycnodontiforms may have used in order to exploit different resources throughout their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of hump-backed semionotiform fish,Lophionotus sanjuanensis, gen et sp. nov., is described based on specimens recently and previously collected from the Upper Triassic Church Rock Member of the Chinle Formation of southeastern Utah. It is characterized by a deep body with a large postcranial hump, and dense tuberculation on the posterodorsal margin of the skull that continues into the dorsal ridge and dorsolateral flank scales. The vertical preoperculum bears a short and broad paddle-like ventral process. The infraorbital series expands ventral to the suborbital and contacts the anterior ramus of the preoperculum, although this character has also been observed in other deep-bodied semionotiform taxa. This taxon represents the first newly described semionotiform fish species from the western United States in over 45 years, and adds to knowledge of Triassic fishes biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Citation for this article: Ebert, M., and J. A. Lane. 2018. Rediscovery of the missing type specimen of ‘Ophiopsis’ aequalis (Neopterygii: Halecomorphi), a small paleontological mystery solved. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1440235. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of pycnodontiform fishes,Grimmenodon aureum, from marginal marine, marine-brackish lower Toarcian (Harpoceras exaratumammonite subzone) clay deposits of Grimmen in northeastern Germany is described. The single specimen represents a diagnostic left prearticular dentition characterized by unique tooth arrangement and ornamentation patterns.Grimmenodon aureum, gen. et sp. nov., is the second unambiguously identified pycnodontiform species from the Early Jurassic, in addition toEomesodon liassicusfrom the early Lower Jurassic of western Europe. We also report an indeterminate pycnodontiform tooth crown from the upper Pliensbachian (Pleuroceras apyrenumammonite subzone) of the same site. The material expands the Early Jurassic range of pycnodontiforms significantly northwards and confirms their presence before and immediately following the onset of the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (T-OAE) in the marginal marine ecosystems south of the Fennoscandian Shield. Moreover, the new records indicate that the Early Jurassic diversity of pycnodontiform fishes was greater than previously assumed and probably equaled that of the Late Triassic. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the Triassic-Jurassic mass extinction event did not affect pycnodontiform fishes significantly. Micro-computed tomography was used to study the internal anatomy of the prearticular ofGrimmenodon aureum, gen. et sp. nov. Our results show that no replacement teeth were formed within the tooth-bearing bone but rather were added posteriorly to functional teeth. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A56BDE9C-40C4-4CFA-9C2E-F5FA35A66F2 Citation for this article: Stumpf, S., J. Ansorge, C. Pfaff, and J. Kriwet. 2017. Early Jurassic diversification of pycnodontiform fishes (Actinopterygii, Neopterygii) after the end-Triassic extinction event: Evidence from a new genus and species,Grimmenodon aureum. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1344679. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We describePalaeomacrosemius thiollieri, gen. et sp. nov., a new genus of Macrosemiidae (Neopterygii: Ginglymodi), from the Upper Jurassic (late Kimmeridgian to early Tithonian) of the Solnhofen Archipelago (Germany) and Cerin (France).Palaeomacrosemius, gen. nov., is characterized primarily by the following features: presence of vertical scale rows that do not dichotomize dorsal to the lateral line (unlike members of the genusMacrosemiusAgassiz); a long dorsal fin with 32–33 dorsal fin rays; and a smaller scale-free area immediately ventrolateral to the dorsal fin compared withMacrosemius. Small, hook-like spines located on the posterolateral border of the principal dorsal fin rays may have functioned in reproductive behavior. We also review the currently known species ofMacrosemius(M.rostratusAgassiz andM.fournetiThiollière) from the Upper Jurassic plattenkalk of southern Germany and Cerin, France.Macrosemius rostratus, which we here restrict to the German plattenkalk basins of Eichstätt and Solnhofen (Tithonian above the eigeltingense horizon), is mainly characterized by the presence of 37–39 dorsal fin rays, which are very long in adult specimens.Macrosemius fournetiis mainly characterized by the presence of 34–35 dorsal fin rays, which are broader in the posterior part of the fin. AlthoughM.fournetiwas previously known only from Cerin, France, we here describe it for the first time from the older plattenkalk of Brunn (southern Germany, late Kimmeridgian). Citation for this article: Ebert, M., J. A. Lane, and M. Kölbl-Ebert. 2016.Palaeomacrosemius thiollieri, gen. et sp. nov., a new Macrosemiidae (Neopterygii) from the Upper Jurassic of the Solnhofen Archipelago (Germany) and Cerin (France), with a revision of the genusMacrosemius. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1196081. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:414EFC70-C0FC-4CE7-919C-20ACB28A709D [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Semionotiformes is a diverse extinct group in Neopterygii. It is well represented in the Mesozoic, occurring in marine and continental strata worldwide. However, some diagnostic characters of Semionotiformes and, in particular, of Semionotidae, have been under debate, due to the description of new taxa or revision of previously known ones. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the first unequivocal record of Semionotidae from Gondwana, i.e., Lophionotus parnaibensis, sp. nov. from the Pastos Bons Formation, Upper Jurassic, in the Parnaíba Basin, northeastern Brazil. It was included in the genus Lophionotus mainly due to the presence of smooth cranial bones, triangular lateral expansion of antorbital portion of frontal, and ratio length/width of frontals lower than three times. It was recovered as a new species due to a unique combination of characters. This discovery represents the most recent occurrence of the genus, which was previously recorded only in the U.S.A. up to the Early Jurassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scanilepiform ray-finned fishFukangichthys longidorsalis, from the Middle Triassic non-marine Kelamayi Formation of Xinjiang, China, was previously described incompletely, with many of its morphological characteristics unnoticed or misidentified. This study provides a revision of this problematic taxon based on an extensive reexamination of the original fossil material. Newly recognized anatomical information includes a plate-like quadratojugal, a triangular dermohyal, a wedge-shaped angular, two infraorbitals, three supraorbitals, fringing fulcra on the pectoral fins, and conical, acrodin-capped teeth in the jaws. Results of a phylogenetic analysis confirmedFukangichthysas a scanilepiform within the Neopterygii, and provided new insights into the evolution of early actinopteran fishes.Cosmoptychius, previously regarded as the oldest stem-group neopterygian, andBrachydegma, previously hypothesized to be the oldest halecomorph, are here reinterpreted as a stem-group actinopteran and a stem-group neopterygian, respectively. Additionally,Discoserra, previously hypothesized in a position close to the Holostei/Teleostei split, is now recovered in a clade withEbenaqua,BobasatraniaandPlatysomus gibbosus, and is therefore phylogenetically distant from crown neopterygians. As a consequence, fossil candidates for divergence time calibrations within the Actinopteri require reconsideration. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triggered by the need to clarify the taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of multiple Late Jurassic species presently assigned to the genus Furo, the taxonomic status of the widely accepted type species F. orthostomus (Agassiz, 1842) was revised. It was found to be a junior synonym of Lepisosteus dentosus Koenig, 1825, and Eugnathus speciosus Agassiz, 1839, two names that despite their availability have not been used for a valid taxon after 1899. Therefore, for the sake of maintaining stability, this contribution shows that the conditions of Article 23.9 'Reversal of precedence' of the Code have been met, and as a result, the younger valid name Eugnathus [= Furo] orthostomus Agassiz, 1842, has priority over its older synonyms Lepisosteus dentosus Koenig, 1825, and Eugnathus speciosus Agassiz, 1839. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transfer-prepared specimen of Lepidotes (Actinopterygii, Lepisosteiformes) from the Posidonia Shale Formation of south Germany is tentatively identified specifically as L. gigas. The genus and its species are insufficiently defined and in need of revision. The new specimen reveals details of the cranial and pectoral girdle skeletal architecture and previously unknown osteological features of Lepidotes, such as a large foramen on the maxilla and the formation of two tooth-bearing clavicle elements (serrated appendages). Maxillary foramina are also known in the related contemporaneous lepisosteiform Mengius and possibly served for passage of nerve branches supplying either a maxillary pit-line or cutaneous sense organs (taste buds) in a thickened upper lip or barbels. The clavicle elements agree morphologically with those of the Recent Amia. Their function remains obscure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pontils fossil site (middle Eocene, Ebro Basin, Spain) includes several vertebrate-bearing levels situated in a sequence recording a continental to marine transition. Although the locality has been known since the 1980s and scarce mammal remains have been already documented, an intensive sampling has not been developed until now. This work presents the first results of the recent field campaigns carried out at this site. Seven levels have yielded significant vertebrate remains, revealing a diverse assemblage which includes chondrichthyans, actinopterygians, amphibians, crocodilians, squamates, metatherians, eulipotyphlans, apatotherians, chiropterans, rodents, artiodactyls, perissodactyls, and primates, besides other non-vertebrate fossils. The Pontils assemblage indicates a mangrove swamp environment with warm and humid conditions and increasing marine influence towards the top of the sequence. Among mammals, primates are particularly diverse, including abundant remains of a minuscule, still undetermined omomyiform, and scarce teeth of Pseudoloris, Necrolemur, and an undetermined anchomomyin. The occurrence of larger benthic foraminifera allows the assignment of Pontils to Shallow Benthic Zone 17 (Bartonian), solving the debate about the age of the locality, previously assigned either to the Bartonian or the Lutetian. These data, together with previous magnetostratigraphic analyses, allow correlation to chrons C18r or C18n.1r, constraining the age of Pontils to between 39.58 and 41 Ma. Therefore, the Pontils site represents a new reference section for the correlation of marine and continental biostratigraphy during the middle Eocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a Valanginian (Early Cretaceous) otolith-based ichthyofauna from a section at Wąwał in central Poland. We describe one new genus (Palaeoargentina gen. nov.), six new otolith-based species (Pteralbula polonica sp. nov., Protalbula pentangularis sp. nov., Kokenichthys kuteki sp. nov., Protoelops gracilis sp. nov., Palaeoargentina plicata sp. nov., Archaeotolithus aptychoides sp. nov.) from Wąwał and compare them to species known from similar assemblages elsewhere. The comparison of teleost diversity shows similarity to the Aptian (late Early Cretaceous) and less distinctly to the Maastrichtian (latest Cretaceous) assemblages, rather than to its coeval equivalents from Germany and southern England, and indicates that a considerable teleost diversity already existed before the mid-Cretaceous. The vertical succession of otolith taxa in the Wąwał section is in concordance to the pattern already revealed from the succession of bivalves and other benthic invertebrates and it is attributed to sea level and temperature variations. Previously identified causes of benthic invertebrate succession in the Wąwał section are used to infer paleoenvironmental factors governing fish distribution in the Valanginian marine environment recorded at this site. The new findings suggest that the radiation of teleosts started before the Valanginian, and it was a relatively long and apparently gradual process. This fossil association also reveals a significant shift in the abundance ratio of fish otoliths vs. cephalopod statoliths in fully marine deposits, with otoliths much more abundant than the statoliths in Valanginian and younger sediments while it is otherwise in the Jurassic deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Billfishes include some of the largest pelagic teleostean species, but several aspects about their morphology, paleobiology, and evolution remain ambiguous. Their fossil record is fragmentary and mostly represented by rostral and skull remains. Here, we present a comparative study of the caudal vertebral morphology of extant istiophorid species and we use this information to describe two fossil vertebrae from the Gatun and Chagres formations, both from the late Miocene of Panama. The caudal vertebra from the Gatun Fm. is characterized by the presence of a lateral apophysis and identified as Makaira sp., while the vertebra from the Río Indio Member of Chagres Fm. lacks this structure and its morphology indicates a different genus. The estimated total length of the Makaira sp. specimen from Gatun Fm. is about 5.18 m, the largest size calculated for a marlin, while the Rio Indio specimen was about 2.56 m long. Phylogenies show that the radiation of most living istiophorid species seemingly occurred during the Pliocene. However, our results highlight that the genus Makaira and the taxa lacking the lateral apophyses occurred during the late Miocene, showing that the radiation of istiophorids most likely occurred before the Pliocene (ca. 5 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Formation is a sedimentary deposit formed in the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Here, we examined a fossiliferous bonebed from an uncertain horizon within the Smoky Hill Chalk in Gove County, Kansas, U.S.A. Over 40,450 taxonomically identifiable specimens were collected, consisting of at least four chondrichthyans, 24 actinopterygians, and two tetrapods, including taxa such as Nanocorax, Squalicorax, Rhinobatos, pycnodontids, Lepisosteidae, Protosphyraena, Pachyrhizodus, ichthyodectiforms, plethodids, Albulidae, Apateodus, Cimolichthys, Enchodus, Acanthomorpha, Platecarpus, and Hesperornithiformes. The diversity of these vertebrates suggests the presence of a very complex ecosystem when the bonebed formed, which is determined to be mid- or late Santonian in age based on biostratigraphic, geographic, and geologic evidence. Based on published literature and this new study, at least 117 vertebrate taxa are now known from the Smoky Hill Chalk of Kansas, comprising 18 chondrichthyans, 63 actinopterygians, and 36 tetrapods. Comparisons of faunal data from the bonebed with databases on vertebrate fossils from the Niobrara Formation of Kansas in seven major museum collections indicate that the Niobrara fossil record based on museum collections is biased towards large reptilian remains compared with fish fossils. In particular, this study indicates that Enchodus spp. were especially common when the bonebed formed. A major corollary from this study is that a more accurate reconstruction of the paleoecology of the Western Interior Seaway requires the need for more analyses on smaller vertebrate taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of fishes represented in upper Paleocene microfossil localities in the Ravenscrag Formation near Roche Percée, Saskatchewan, is documented. Thirteen kinds of fishes are recognized. Two chondrosteans are present, a sturgeon and a paddlefish, both represented by small, irregularly shaped, ornamented bony plates. Four kinds of basal neopterygians are identified. Two of these, Atractosteus and Cyclurus, are widely distributed in both Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous localities. The remaining two are unnamed taxa designated Holostean A and Holostean B that were known previously from Upper Cretaceous localities but have not been reported from the Paleocene prior to this report. The presence of these taxa in the late Paleocene further supports the conclusion that basal neopterygians were little affected by the K/Pg mass extinction event. Seven teleosts are present in the assemblage. This assemblage of teleosts is similar to assemblages of upper Paleocene fishes from the Paskapoo Formation of Alberta in the presence of osteoglossomorphs, a gonorhynchiform, the esocid Esox, a percopsiform, and at least one other acanthomorph. It differs in the presence of a generically indeterminate protacanthopterygian designated here as morphotype ES-1 and a teleost of uncertain relationships designated morphotype PT-1. Neither of these taxa is present in the Late Cretaceous, suggesting that they first appeared in the area during the early or middle Paleocene. Comparison of the fish assemblages of the late Paleocene and early Eocene suggests that a major faunal transition occurred at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary, and that this involved a decrease in diversity of basal neopterygians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theropod dinosaurs are minor components of Late Triassic ecosystems in North America, comprising coelophysoids and various non-neotheropods from the Chinle Formation of Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico and the Dockum Group of western Texas. By the Sinemurian (Early Jurassic), the coelophysoid "Syntarsus" kayentakatae and the large-bodied non-averostran neotheropod Dilophosaurus wetherilli from the Kayenta Formation were the dominant terrestrial predators. Theropods are virtually unknown from the intervening Rhaetian–Hettangian Moenave Formation, with the exception of two partial coelophysoid pelves from somewhere within the Dinosaur Canyon Member, which includes the Triassic–Jurassic boundary and end-Triassic mass extinction. Here we describe an anterior trunk vertebra from a non-coelophysoid, non-averostran neotheropod from the uppermost Whitmore Point Member of the Moenave Formation in southwestern Utah, which is Hettangian in age. The vertebra has prominent vertebral laminae and associated pneumatic fossae, and anterior and posterior 'shoulders' on the neural spine that are similar to those found in Dilophosaurus wetherilli. This vertebra belongs to a theropod that may be as many as 15 million years older than Dilophosaurus wetherilli from the middle of the Kayenta Formation in Arizona. This theropod is associated with Grallator, Eubrontes, and Characichnos theropod traces made on the shores of the Early Jurassic Lake Whitmore that are abundant in the Whitmore Point Member in southwestern Utah. Its occurrence in the Hettangian roughly coincides with the appearance of Eubrontes tracks in North America, indicating that not all contemporaneous theropod traces were made by coelophysoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

†Neilpeartia ceratoi, gen. et sp. nov., a new antennariid frogfish, is described based on a single, well-preserved, articulated specimen from the Ypresian of Bolca, Italy. The morpho-anatomical analysis of this nicely preserved fossil reveals a series of features that unambiguously support its recognition as a new member of the lophiiform family Antennariidae, including body extensively covered with tiny, close-set, bifurcated dermal spinules, illicium considerably elongate and broadly spinulose in its lower portion, bulbous esca absent, endopterygoid, epural, and caudal peduncle present; caudal fin with nine branched rays, 19 vertebrae, 13 dorsal-fin rays, eight anal-fin rays, nine pectoral-fin rays, and five bifurcated pelvic-fin rays. †Neilpeartia, gen. nov., is assigned to the subfamily Antennariinae, and seems to form a sister pair with the extant genus Fowlerichthys, which in turn represents the sister clade to all the other antennariine taxa. Consequently, †Neilpeartia ceratoi, gen. et sp. nov., should be regarded as the oldest known unquestionable evidence of crown antennariids in the fossil record. Paleoecological and evolutionary implications are also discussed. Citation for this article: Carnevale, G., T. W. Pietsch, N. Bonde, M. E. C. Leal, and G. Marramà. 2020. †Neilpeartia ceratoi, gen. et sp. nov., a new frogfish from the Eocene of Bolca, Italy. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Late Jurassic Plattenkalk deposits of the Solnhofen Archipelago and of Nusplingen (both southern Germany), there are a considerable number of as yet undescribed genera and species of ganoin-scaled Halecomorphi. Some species were preliminarily assigned to the genus 'Furo'; however, as noted by previous authors, the taxon 'Furo' is not a monophyletic genus. A description of two new genera and species, Zandtfuro tischlingeri and Schernfeldfuro uweelleri is presented here, with further descriptions of new species to follow separately. These new taxa are characterized by a specific combination of features, including: body shape; number of suborbital bones, infraorbitals, extrascapulars, dorsal and caudal fin rays, and vertical scale rows; number and shape of maxillary teeth; presence or absence of sclerotic ring ossification; shape of the ventral postinfraorbital; insertion of dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins; position of lateral line in caudal fin area; and shape and distribution of scales. The more basal Halecomorphi with massive ganoin scales (Parasemionotiformes, Panxianichthyformes, and Ophiopsiformes) remain poorly known, compared with the more advanced halecomorph group of the Amiiformes (especially the Amiidae). Closer investigation of their taxonomic relationship is therefore important for understanding broader patterns of halecomorph evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cretaceous fish fossils are reported from Malaysia for the first time. They were found with dinosaur and turtle remains in nonmarine sediments in the interior of Pahang State, Peninsular Malaysia. This fish assemblage consists mostly of isolated teeth, with minor amounts of noncranial remains, including vertebral centra, scales, coprolites, and hybodont fin spines. Over 100 fish teeth were examined. Nine taxa were confirmed from this fish assemblage: six (identified and unidentified) species of hybodont sharks, Heteroptychodus kokutensis, Isanodus paladeji, Lonchidion aff. khoratensis, Mukdahanodus aff. trisivakulii, Egertonodus sp., and Hybodontidae indet., and three species of actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes): 'Lepidotes' sp., Halecomorphi indet., and Ginglymodi indet. This fish assemblage has strong affinities with Early Cretaceous (Barremian–early Aptian) faunas of Thailand, because the four hybodont species, H. kokutensis, I. paladeji, L. khoratensis, and M. trisivakulii, were previously known only from the Sao Khua Formation (Khorat Group) and equivalent strata of Ko Kut (Kut Island). Egertonodus has been confirmed in Asia for the first time. Overall, this fish assemblage shows a close linkage to Early Cretaceous (Barremian–early Aptian) faunas of Thailand. Based on faunal composition and biostratigraphic correlation, we suggest a Barremian–early Aptian age for this new fauna from Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ray-finned fishPlesiofuro mingshuicafrom the Triassic non-marine deposits of northern Gansu Province, China, was previously misidentified as a caturid halecomorph. This erroneous taxonomic assignment contributed to the misinterpretation of the age of thePlesiofuro-bearing fossil beds as Early Jurassic. Here, we provide a taxonomic revision of this problematic taxon based on a comparative study including over 500 new specimens. The revised description ofPlesiofuroaccommodates significant changes to the reconstruction of the snout, skull roof, cheek, circumorbital, and operculogular series, as well as the lower jaw. Results of a cladistic analysis incorporating these new data placePlesiofuroas a stem-group neopterygian. Additionally, phylogenetic results show that both ‘Perleidiformes’ and ‘Peltopleuriformes’ are paraphyletic, encompassing several independent stem-neopterygian subclades. As such, this study sheds new light on one of the least resolved areas of osteichthyan phylogeny: the so-called ‘subholosteans’ of the neopterygian total group. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Xu, G.-H., K.-Q. Gao, and M. I. Coates. 2015. Taxonomic revision ofPlesiofuro mingshuicafrom the Lower Triassic of northern Gansu, China, and the relationships of early neopterygian clades. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2014.1001515. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction is presented which mentions the correct size of lepisemionotiformes, a late Jurassic freshwater fish.

Although the type species of Ophiopsis was long considered O. procera, the genus originally included the single species Ophiopsis muensteri, which subsequent authors moved to Furo. Following the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature code, Furo muensteri is here recognized as the type species of Ophiopsis by monotypy (Article 68.3). Ophiopsiella, gen. nov., is erected to include all remaining previously described ' Ophiopsis' species. Exceptionally well preserved new Ophiopsiella attenuata from the Upper Jurassic plattenkalk of Ettling (Bavaria, Germany) represents the first record of this species from Ettling, allowing for a partial revision of it and Ophiopsiella procera. New evidence allows for an emended diagnosis of Ophiopsiella attenuata, which differs from all other Ophiopsidae in the following combination of features: 27-28 dorsal fin rays, 42 vertical scale rows, and a long, low, posteroventrally inclined dorsal fin lacking elongate anterior fin rays or a strongly concave posterior border. A neotype for O. attenuata is designated, as the type is lost. ' Ophiopsis' attenuata actually contains two anatomically different morphotypes corresponding to distinct species, one of which is indistinguishable from ' Ophiopsis' procera. Exceptional preservation of the new material provides new morphological information, particularly regarding the dermal cranial bones. This revision changes the known distribution of ophiopsids in the Upper Jurassic of southern Germany and France, with possible broader paleobiogeographic and paleoecological implications for this region during the Late Jurassic. Ophiopsids remain poorly known compared with other halecomorphs (e.g., Amiidae), and closer investigation of their morphology and taxonomic relationships is therefore important to understanding broader patterns of halecomorph evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new species of acanthomorph fishes are described, and three are named, from the Agoult locality of Morocco, which samples early Late Cretaceous marine deposits of the Akrabou Formation. Of the three new named species, two represent members of the subfamily Aipichthyoidea, based on possession of a caudal fin skeleton with a short, broad, neural spine on the second preural centrum, 19 principal caudal fin rays, and three supraneurals positioned close together in front of the first neural spine. The third named species is placed in the Polymixiiformes based on having a caudal fin with a long, full neural spine on the second preural centrum, and 18 principal caudal fin rays. The fourth species is too poorly preserved to name, but we describe the few details that are visible, and it remains incertae sedis within Acanthomorpha. These new taxa add to the diversity of morphologies seen in both the aipichthyoids and the polymixiiforms during the Cenomanian and Turonian throughout the Tethys Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the first comprehensive revision of ‘pholidophoriform’ fishes, which are a key taxon for understanding the early diversification of teleost fish. Systematic revisions of Triassic pholidophorids, which are based on numerous well-preserved specimens, include †Annaichthys, gen. et sp. nov., †Knerichthys, gen. nov., †Parapholidophorus, †Pholidoctenus, †Pholidophoretes, †Pholidophorus, †Pholidorhynchodon, and †Zambellichthys, gen. et sp. nov. The morphological descriptions presented support a phylogenetic analysis that proposes a new hypothesis for character evolution within basal Teleostei, with implications for holosteans and teleosteans. The phylogenetic analysis resolves traditional ‘pholidophoriform’ species as a paraphyletic assemblage, with some grouped in a monophyletic †Pholidophoridae and others more closely related to crown-group teleosts. The monophyletic Family †Pholidophoridae is restricted to European Triassic taxa and is the sister group of the Jurassic genus †Eurycormusplus all other teleosts. The latter clade is supported by several synapomorphies, such as an elongate posteroventral process of the quadrate, long epineural processes, and seven or more ural neural arches modified as uroneurals. †Pholidophorus becheiis removed from †Pholidophoridae and recognized as the new genus †Dorsetichthys. Current evidence indicates that the Upper Triassic †Pholidophoretes salvusand †Knerichthys bronnirepresent the oldest known pholidophorids, and †Prohalecitesfrom the Middle/Upper Triassic boundary represents the oldest stem teleost. Aspidorhynchiforms, pachycormiforms, and †Prohalecitesare resolved as stem teleosts. The monophyly of Teleostei, which now includes Triassic pholidophorids, is supported by numerous synapomorphies, such as one suborbital, two supramaxillae, and the articular fused to the angular and retroarticular bones—with further transformations within more advanced teleosts. Synapomorphies of Teleosteomorpha, the clade including crown-group teleosts and all fish more closely related to them than to their closest extant relatives, include the autosphenotic lacking a dermal component, an unpaired vomer, and one long, toothed, serrated appendage on the cleithrum. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the teeth of albuliform fish (Teleostei, elopomorpha) found from the lower Cretaceous Wadhurst Clay formation in Southeast England. It mentions that the teeth of the said species were more distinct compared to those from other durophagous Early Cretaceous freshwater taxa. It states that most of the fossils from albuliform taxa were recorded from fully marine, estuarine, and saline lagoonal settings.

Two nearly complete skeletons of the filter-feeding pterodactyloidPterodaustro guinazuifrom the Lower Cretaceous of Argentina exhibit clusters of poorly sorted coarse sand to fine gravel inside the abdominal cavity. These stones are interpreted as ingested gastroliths (geogastroliths), which are commonly found in a variety of archosaurs (including birds) but have never before been reported in a pterosaur. The geogastroliths found in thesePterodaustrospecimens are interpreted as having assisted in the digestion of hard food items such as ‘shelled’ crustaceans that are abundant in the fossil beds of this pterosaur. One of these specimens with geogastroliths has anterior mandibular teeth that are notably thicker than the posterior teeth and are somewhat procumbent. We suggest that these teeth might have facilitated the apprehension of fine gravel. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents abstracts on vertebrate paleontology topics which includes ontogeny of the early Triassic Thrinaxodon liorhinus, vertebrate and geological signatures of the construction of Moghra formation in North Western Desert in Egypt and the encephalization and brain morphology of false sabertoothed cats.

The first detailed description of Furo muensteri is provided based on new well-preserved material from the Upper Jurassic of Ettling (Bavaria), the first record of Furo from this locality. Previously unknown features (circumorbital series, skull roof, maxilla, dorsal fin) are described. The corrected Latinized spelling replaces the original specific epithet “münsteri,” in accordance with Article 32.5 of the International Congress of Zoological Nomenclature code. Furo muensteri is diagnosed, among other features, by: pectoral fins as long as head; head length approximately 19% of standard length; 12 dorsal fin rays; 61 vertical scale rows from supracleithrum to hinge line; shape of ventral suborbital and position of its pit line; and morphology and arrangement of the maxilla and supramaxilla (gracile maxilla with deep posterodorsal angle and strongly tapered anteriorly; supramaxilla approximately 70% maxilla length, of uniform dorsoventral thickness, and with elongate anterior margin tapered to a point). Comparison with other Furo taxa reveals that F. muensteri is morphologically indistinguishable from F. praelongus (upper Kimmeridgian, Cerin, France). The two species are here synonymized, with F. praelongus becoming the junior synonym of F. muensteri (which has priority). Furo muensteri is also compared to the type species, F. orthostomus, and is currently retained in Furo pending a more detailed analysis of the genus. Presence of a sensory canal on the maxilla provides further evidence that Furo is sister to all other ophiopsids. Furo muensteri is currently known only from upper Kimmeridgian localities of Bavaria and France, except for Ettling whose exact geological age remains unknown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new semionotiform genus, which was recognized while studying Macrosemimimus fegerti, gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen Archipelago, Germany. Macrosemimimus (Lepidotes) lennieri from the early Kimmeridgian of Cap de la Hève, France, including Lepidotes toombsi from the Lower Kimmeridge Clay in Cambridgeshire, England, as a junior synonym, also belong to the new genus. Though different species, the presence of the same fish genus in different biodiversity zones suggests that semionotiforms might have been less sensible to the ecological and physical factors that caused the endemisms recognized in the invertebrate faunas. Macrosemimimus is mainly distinguished by the peculiar shape of the antorbital portion of the frontal bones, a single pair of extrascapular bones that do not reach the dorsal midline, anteriorly open circumborbital ring, only two suborbital bones, edentulous maxilla, a large quadratojugal involved in the jaw articulation, four postcleithra, and the pectoral fins placed very low and joining ventrally. The two included species differ in the ornamentation of the skull bones, the morphology of the scales, the relative size and position of the extrascapular bones, the dorsal extension of the preoperculum, and the kind of dentition. Although the phylogenetic relationships of Macrosemimimus are not yet established, the particular shape of the antorbital portion of the frontals and the patterns of the extrascapular and suborbital bones indicate possible systematic affinity with the macrosemiids, “Lepidotes” gloriae from the Oxfordian of Cuba, and “Lepidotes” microrhis and “Lepidotes” tanyrhis from the Barremian of Las Hoyas, Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A lag deposit that separates the underlying late Maastrichtian Arkadelphia Formation marl from the overlying Paleocene Midway Group limestone in Hot Spring County, Arkansas, U.S.A., contains osteichthyan teeth, scales, and skeletal elements belonging to: Cylindracanthus ornatus Leidy, 1856, Atractosteus sp., Lepisosteus sp., cf. Hadrodus priscus Leidy, 1857, Pseudoegertonia cf. P. granulosus (Arambourg, 1952), Paralbula casei Estes, 1969, Enchodus ferox Leidy, 1855, Enchodus gladiolus (Cope, 1872), Enchodus petrosus (Cope, 1874), Enchodus sp., and Teleostei incertae sedis. Outcrop exposures of this lag deposit occur within the Ouachita River and are expressed as a series of partially submerged, steeply inclined fold limbs that strike obliquely to water flow. The co-occurring osteichthyans recovered in this study span a broad range of salinity tolerances, foraging behaviors, and dietary preferences. Concentration of these osteichthyans indicates transport, exhumation, and reburial associated with storm activity or sea level cyclicity across a shallow Late Cretaceous marine shelf. Arkadelphia-Midway osteichthyan taxa belong to groups that survive the Cretaceous-Paleocene extinction event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A collection of fossil fish teeth and other elements from Eocene deposits on the northshore of Birket Qarun, Fayum Depression, Egypt, is reported. This collection adds significantly to our knowledge, as it consists of material that was screened from the sediments, allowing collection of small teeth that represent taxa not previously reported from the Fayum. Previous collections from these sediments have concentrated on larger remains that generally represent elasmobranchs, which are marine species from deposits lower in the section. Most of this material, collected by screening at the Birket Qarun 2 (BQ-2) locality, represents fully freshwater fishes. It includes the first record of the mormyrid Gymnarchus in the Fayum Depression, which represents the oldest record for this group, known previously only from the late Miocene or younger deposits. Similarly, Mochokidae (Siluriformes) and Hydrocynus (Alestidae) remains from the site are the oldest record of these taxa. Other taxa recovered are the osteichthyans Polypterus (Polypteriformes), Protopterus (Dipnoi), and Parachanna (Channidae), and the chondrichthyans Hypolophodon cf. H. malembeensis (Dasyatoidea incert. fam.), Rhinoptera sherborni (Rhinopteridae), and Coupatez ia wousteri (Dasyatoidea incert. fam.). A new ray, Coupatez ia attiai, n. sp., Cook, is also described. These fishes confirm the freshwater influence at locality BQ-2 in the Birket Qarun Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polazzodus coronatus, gen. et sp. nov., is a pycnodontiform fish from two proximate Late Cretaceous fossil sites near Polazzo, in northeastern Italy, where it is relatively abundant. Its autapomorphic characters are the presence of a distinctively shaped second dorsal ridge scale with an anterior projection; the presence of an olfactory fenestra on the premaxilla; an axe blade-like morphology of the maxilla; and the presence of a conspicuous posterodorsal process on the cleithrum. Polazzodus coronatus, gen. et sp. nov., is closely related to the pycnodontids Oropycnodus, Pycnodus, and probably 'Coelodus' gridelli and Tergestinia. Although their phylogenetic interrelationships will be tested when the last two forms are revised, Polazzodus coronatus is assigned to the subfamily Pycnodontinae within the Family Pycnodontidae, because it possesses the autapomorphies of both latter groups; for instance, the presence of an exposed part of the endocranium, without overlying dermal bones, which is an autapomorphy of the Pycnodontinae. The shape and large size of the supraoccipital bone in Polazzodus, together with the arrangement of the other occipital bones, indicates that this exposed portion of the endocranium is most likely formed by the endochondral supraoccipital bone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a fossil record of the Late Cretaceous pycnodont fish found from the Juana Lopez member of the upper Cretaceous Mancos Shale of New Mexico. It offers a taxonomic and systematic description of the specimen's vomerine teeth in comparison with the Macropycnodon megafrendodon genus. An apical view of its teeth revealed that the anterior apical ridge form a broad V-shape with the lateral ends directed toward the center of the crown. Taxonomic diagnosis based on dental characteristics also revealed that the teeth of pycnodont fishes resemble those of the Macropycnodon strecki genus however, the teeth of this genus differs from those of the megafrendodon genus due to their transverse ridges.

The article proposes a new genus of pycnodont fish Arcodonichthys pasiegae from the early Cretaceous of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin, northern Spain, described from isolated vomerine and prearticular dentitions. The new species is diagnosed by two apomorphic characters in the teeth of the main vomerine tooth row. The article does not propose any hypothesis of phylogenetic relationships for the new taxon of Arcodonichthys because dental characteristics are not informative enough by themselves to allow it.