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Isolated fossil bones from freshwater Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) deposits in the Mahajanga Basin of northwestern Madagascar are identified as belonging to a gonorynchiform fish. Multiple elements representing the same bone, including opercles, hyomandibulae, frontals, and basioccipitals, indicate that only a single gonorynchiform species is present. The most diagnostic element is here named as a new genus and species, †Vango fahiny; the other elements likely belong to the same taxon. The Madagascan gonorynchiform material shares features with members of the subfamily Chaninae and is assigned to that group. It is similar to the extant milkfish Chanos chanos but can be easily distinguished from that species by numerous features, such as the basioccipital and maxilla being relatively shorter than those of C. chanos, and the opercle being overall rounder and having a shorter auricular process. The presence of a chanid in Madagascar in the Maastrichtian most likely represents an invasion of a marine lineage into fresh waters. The previously known Cretaceous fossils of gonorynchiforms are spread throughout the Tethys Sea in mid-latitude to northern regions from the east (e.g., Lebanon, Europe) through to the southwest (e.g., Mexico, Brazil). †Vango faniny gen. et sp. nov. represents the first Mesozoic/Paleogene record of gonorynchiforms in East Gondwana, comprising primarily Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The posterior portion of a sturgeon skull preserved in a nodule was recovered from the latest Campanian sediments of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is described here as a new genus and species of Acipenseriformes. The skull represents an individual of at least 2 meters in total length. This species is of particular interest because different bones of the skull show a surface ornamentation with different patterns; the clavicle has large pits, the dermal skull bones have smaller pits and radiating ridges, and the subopercle shows fine radiating ridges. The new taxon, here named †Boreiosturion labyrinthicus, can be confidently included in the extant family Acipenseridae but a phylogenetic analysis does not further resolve relationships. This fossil is the first documentation of sturgeon in the latest Campanian of North America, and bridges the gap between the mid-Campanian assemblage of Dinosaur Park and the late Maastrichtian material from the Hell Creek Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isolated fossil bones from freshwater Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) deposits in the Mahajanga Basin of northwestern Madagascar are identified as belonging to a gonorynchiform fish. Multiple elements representing the same bone, including opercles, hyomandibulae, frontals, and basioccipitals, indicate that only a single gonorynchiform species is present. The most diagnostic element is here named as a new genus and species, †Vango fahiny; the other elements likely belong to the same taxon. The Madagascan gonorynchiform material shares features with members of the subfamily Chaninae and is assigned to that group. It is similar to the extant milkfish Chanos chanos but can be easily distinguished from that species by numerous features, such as the basioccipital and maxilla being relatively shorter than those of C. chanos, and the opercle being overall rounder and having a shorter auricular process. The presence of a chanid in Madagascar in the Maastrichtian most likely represents an invasion of a marine lineage into fresh waters. The previously known Cretaceous fossils of gonorynchiforms are spread throughout the Tethys Sea in mid-latitude to northern regions from the east (e.g., Lebanon, Europe) through to the southwest (e.g., Mexico, Brazil). †Vango faniny gen. et sp. nov. represents the first Mesozoic/Paleogene record of gonorynchiforms in East Gondwana, comprising primarily Antarctica, Australia, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The posterior portion of a sturgeon skull preserved in a nodule was recovered from the latest Campanian sediments of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is described here as a new genus and species of Acipenseriformes. The skull represents an individual of at least 2 meters in total length. This species is of particular interest because different bones of the skull show a surface ornamentation with different patterns; the clavicle has large pits, the dermal skull bones have smaller pits and radiating ridges, and the subopercle shows fine radiating ridges. The new taxon, here named †Boreiosturion labyrinthicus, can be confidently included in the extant family Acipenseridae but a phylogenetic analysis does not further resolve relationships. This fossil is the first documentation of sturgeon in the latest Campanian of North America, and bridges the gap between the mid-Campanian assemblage of Dinosaur Park and the late Maastrichtian material from the Hell Creek Formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

†Protosyngnathus sumatrensis is known from six specimens from Eocene lacustrine deposits of the Sangkarawang Formation of Sumatra, Indonesia. The fish was named almost 150 years ago, but has never been well described or figured. Probably because of this, it has not been included in phylogenies of extant pipefishes and seahorses (Syngnathiformes). A detailed description is provided, along with a new phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters that allows the Eocene fish to be confidently placed with the extant families Syngnathidae (pipefishes and seahorses) and Solenostomidae (ghost seahorses) along with the Paleocene marine fossil †Eekaulostomus cuevasae from Mexico. The vast majority of these fishes are marine inhabitants, with a few syngnathids entering brackish or freshwater habitats. †Protosyngnathus documents the occurrence of syngnathiform fishes in a lacustrine environment, indicating that this lineage invaded and became adapted to the freshwater environment early in the evolution of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

†Protosyngnathus sumatrensis is known from six specimens from Eocene lacustrine deposits of the Sangkarawang Formation of Sumatra, Indonesia. The fish was named almost 150 years ago, but has never been well described or figured. Probably because of this, it has not been included in phylogenies of extant pipefishes and seahorses (Syngnathiformes). A detailed description is provided, along with a new phylogenetic analysis of morphological characters that allows the Eocene fish to be confidently placed with the extant families Syngnathidae (pipefishes and seahorses) and Solenostomidae (ghost seahorses) along with the Paleocene marine fossil †Eekaulostomus cuevasae from Mexico. The vast majority of these fishes are marine inhabitants, with a few syngnathids entering brackish or freshwater habitats. †Protosyngnathus documents the occurrence of syngnathiform fishes in a lacustrine environment, indicating that this lineage invaded and became adapted to the freshwater environment early in the evolution of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new enchodontoid, †Spinascutichthys pankowskiae gen. et sp. nov. is described from the marine Cenomanian deposits of the En Nammoura locality, Lebanon. The enchodontoid is small, but fully ossified, and armoured with rows of scutes bearing strong spines along the back, flanks, and ventral surface of the tail. The long, slender body and elongate jaws are similar to those of dercetids, but the predorsal scutes and ventral prongs on the dentary indicate relationship with enchodontids. Although more, or better, characters are needed to resolve the phylogeny and monophyly of the †Enchodontoidei, the family †Enchodontidae is found to be monophyletic, but a monophyletic †Dercetidae is not recovered. The new taxon is resolved in a phylogenetic analysis as the sister group to †Nardorex. This small, armoured fish supports the interpretation of En Nammoura as having a shallower water environment than that represented at the two similarly aged Lebanese deposits of Hakel and Hadjula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We here describe a fossil catfish from freshwater deposits of the Jbel Qatrani Formation of the Fayum Depression, Egypt, as a new species of an extant genus, †Clarotes eocenicus, sp. nov., in the family Claroteidae. We base this placement on several cranial osteological features, including robust, laterally oriented anterior cornua of the mesethmoid, cranial fontanelle formed in mesethmoid and frontals but not extending into the parieto-supraoccipital, dermal ornamentation of small bumps concentrated on the posterior part of the skull, and supraoccipital crest short and broadly triangular. The material comes from the upper Eocene L-41 locality, which represents deposition in an oxbow lake environment. The new taxon, along with a previously described catfish from Tanzania, indicate that claroteid catfishes were established in both North and East Africa in the Eocene, and, unlike North America, Europe and Asia in which modern genera of catfishes were not present in the Eocene, at least two extant catfish genera had already evolved in the fresh waters of Africa by 45–35 million years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fish remains from Gona, Ethiopia, were recovered along with those of other vertebrates by the Gona Paleoanthropological Research Project team (GPRP) in the late 1990s and early 2000s from Pliocene and Pleistocene deposits. The early Pliocene fish were recovered from natural depositional contexts, whereas the early Pleistocene fish were associated almost completely with archeological contexts. Analysis of the fossils provides new information on the Pliocene and Pleistocene fish taxa from deposits associated with the Awash River system in the Afar Depression, Ethiopia. Six families are represented in the fossil assemblages, including one not previously reported from the Pliocene Awash River system. Based on the methodology of a previous study, we test the accuracy of using habitat preferences of modern fish taxa to infer the preferences of the same fossil taxon. Our findings contribute to the reconstruction of the paleoecology of the Pliocene Awash river and lakes. The presence of several hyperostotic cichlid bones in both the Gona and Middle Awash project areas indicates that periods of stability in the lakes and rivers of the Awash River system were punctuated by occasional periods of extreme changes in water levels and water chemistry, resulting in intense soda conditions, which would eradicate most fish taxa. Fish bones recovered from the localities with archeological contexts differed in taxonomic composition and diversity from the naturally deposited assemblages, suggesting the possibility that these remains were selected and accumulated by humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil material from the Maastrichtian part of the Scollard Formation is identified as belonging to an acanthomorph fish. An articulated specimen, preserved in part and counterpart, is a member of the paracanthopterygian order Percopsiformes, based on it having a full neural spine on the second preural centrum and two epurals in the caudal skeleton (both paracanthopterygian characters), as well as six branchiostegal rays and an anterodorsal excavated margin on the opercle (percopsiform characters). We name this as a new genus and species, Lindoeichthys albertensis. A phylogenetic analysis with no prior constraints recovered a single most-parsimonious tree with the new taxon placed as the sister group to a clade containing the Palaeocene Montana genus Mcconichthys + Percopsidae. However, this analysis did not recover the traditional percopsiforms (including Aphredoderidae and Amblyopsidae) as monophyletic. A second analysis, in which we constrained the traditional members of the Percopsiformes to be monophyletic, resulted in the new species being placed as the sister group to Percopsis. The articulated percopsiform specimen from the Pisces Point locality allows isolated dentaries from vertebrate microfossil localities to be identified as being from a member of that group. These isolated elements first appear in the late Campanian Judith River Group of Alberta and the Kaiparowits Formation of Utah, documenting that percopsiform fishes were present in the Western Interior of North America at least 75 Ma ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Birket Qarun Formation, sampling upper Eocene deposits of the Fayum Depression, has been the subject of disagreement in terms of the environmental deposition. The formation has traditionally been considered to be a marine deposit but, more recently, one particular site, Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2), has been reported to have freshwater vertebrates, indicating that at least this locality in the formation contains terrestrial deposits. We here report a new varied assemblage of fossil catfishes from BQ-2, which adds new information with which to interpret the paleoenvironment of the locality. The new BQ-2 catfish assemblage includes the earliest record of the freshwater family Bagridae in Africa, as well as the oldest records of Fajumia and Socnopaea, otherwise known only from the overlying marine deposits of the Qasr el-Sagha Formation. Notable among the finds are remains of Arius fraasi and two additional species of marine ariid catfishes, representing the first such occurrences from the Fayum deposits. These occurrences indicate that BQ-2 likely had marine influences, or perhaps that Fajumia, Socnopaea, and Arius were euryhaline. In addition, the freshwater families Claroteidae and Mochokidae are represented among our collection. The new material documents the presence of a variety of taxa, and in addition it documents the variation in body size of members of the same family. Most evidence from other vertebrate fossils indicates that BQ-2 is a freshwater deposit, but some elements of the new catfish collection suggest the presence of nearshore marine influences, indicating that a much more complex environment was present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paleocene deposits of the Tullock Member of the Fort Union Formation, Montana, U.S.A., have yielded several new specimens of †Polyodon tuberculata, a taxon previously described from the formation, as well as a new genus and species of sturgeon (Acipenseridae). The three new specimens of †P. tuberculata allow us to revise and to confirm previously reported features of the holotype, as well as to describe other features that were not preserved in the single specimen previously known. For example, we observe that (1) the left and right posttemporals overlie the left and right parietals to meet in the midline, (2) the posttemporal has a deep ventral flange, and (3) the parasphenoid extends farther posteriorly than the parietals. The new sturgeon is fairly small, and not well preserved. It can be distinguished from all other acipenserids by a combination of features, including kite-shaped dorsal scutes bearing a strong median ridge, lateral scutes that vary in shape from rhomboid to irregularly shaped elements, a large triangular scute behind the anal fin, and numerous small rhomboid scales covering the caudal skeleton. It cannot be included in any currently known genus and is here named †Engdahlichthys milviaegis, gen. et sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sangkarewang Formation of the Ombilin Basin in Sumatra, Indonesia, has been known for its fossil fishes for over 150 years, and a monograph on the fishes from freshwater deposits of the basin was published over 80 years ago. Most of the material previously reported was placed in living genera; however, based on reexamination of some previously collected material and newly collected material, none of the taxa from these deposits are considered to be congeneric with any modern fishes. New collections, from paper shales representing deeper water in the paleolake than that previously sampled, are composed predominantly of cyprinoid fishes. Two previously unreported cyprinoid taxa are here named as new: Sangkarewangia sumatranus, gen. et sp. nov., and Hadromos sandersae, gen. et sp. nov. The previously described Puntius bussyi is removed to Pauciuncus, gen. nov., yielding Pauciuncus bussyi, comb. nov. All of the cyprinoids from the formation, those reported here as new as well as those previously reported, are assessed for their possible subfamily affinities. Most belong to Barbinae, with Labeoninae, Smiliogastrinae, and Rasborinae tentatively represented. The age of the Sangkarewang Formation has been controversial; it has been variously attributed to Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene, and Miocene. Although the fish fauna does not definitively date the formation, recent studies support an early to mid-Eocene age, and the ichthyofauna does not contradict this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two cyprinid fishes from fossil deposits of Sumatra, Indonesia, were briefly described and named in 1876 as new species in extant genera. These taxa, despite being important early records for the family, have been excluded from later studies, probably because the cursory descriptions and lack of illustrations provided little data for other researchers. These two fish, Barbus megacephalus Günther and Thynnichthys amblyostoma von der Marck, are here fully described and illustrated. They are both removed from the extant genera and each is given its own new genus, as Sundabarbus megacephalus and Padangia amblyostoma. Both are assigned to the subfamily Barbinae (equivalent to the tribe Barbini). These two species are some of the oldest known members of the family, coming from deposits that are believed to be Eocene in age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extinct neoteleost family Dercetidae includes elongate, long-jawed marine fishes that are known from the Late Cretaceous to Paleocene in deposits from the Levant, Europe, North Africa, England, Mexico and Brazil. The fossil record of the family in South America is very sparse and previously was restricted to outcrops in Brazil. Herein we describe a new dercetid fish from the Turonian of Colombia, †Candelarhynchus padillai gen. et sp. nov. A single articulated specimen is preserved in part and counterpart; the posterior part of the fish is missing. The specimen differs from other dercetid species by the following unique combination of morphological features: lack of scutes on the flanks of the body, presence of a single pair of transverse processes associated with the abdominal vertebrae, roofed posttemporal fossa, single row of small conical teeth on the dentary and maxilla, toothless premaxilla ornamented with pronounced longitudinal striations and protruding forward far beyond the anterior end of the dentary, and relatively large pectoral fins positioned high on the body. When included in a phylogenetic analysis of †Enchodontoidei, †C. padillai gen. et sp. nov. falls within a monophyletic family Dercetidae and is placed as sister taxon to the Late Cretaceous dercetid †Hastichthys from Israel, indicating faunal connections between the Eastern and Western Tethys. The new taxon provides novel insights into the distribution of dercetid fishes in the Western Tethys region during the early Late Cretaceous. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:29F97139-98BD-48E5-AAC0-091980F866E2 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single block containing five articulated osteoglossomorphs was recovered from the Paskapoo Formation of southern Alberta, during development of a residential community in Calgary. Two of the specimens represent a new species of † Joffrichthys , and the other three represent a new genus and species of osteoglossomorph. The discovery of a new species of † Joffrichthys led us to re-examine the type species and to recode many of the characters that have been used in phylogenetic analyses. In particular, we interpret the caudal skeleton of † Joffrichthys to have 16 branched principal rays, not 15, which indicates this genus does not belong in Osteoglossiformes, and removes it from the osteoglossid/heterotidine affiliations previously reported. We assessed the relationships of the two new taxa using a modified data matrix including new outgroups and corrected data, with and without the inclusion of † Ostariostoma. Our results show that † Joffrichthys is a basal member of the superorder, and not a member of the Heterotidinae, but the other new taxon is left incertae sedis in the superorder. We also provide data on the early history of osteoglossomorphs in North America provided by isolated elements from Cretaceous and Palaeocene microfossil sites that complement and supplement that provided by articulated specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An articulated series of centra from latest Miocene deposits of Ukraine is described and identified as a species of Lates. The specimen comes from a locality with an estimated age of 6.04-4.7 Ma, representing the northernmost reach of the Paratethys during the Pontian. The specimen almost certainly represents a distinct species, but because it is incomplete we do not formally name it. The specimen can be differentiated from other species of Lates by features of the centra, including the relative size of the primary lateral fossa of the second centrum, the broadened neural spine of the third centrum, and the relative position of the upper and primary lateral pits on both the fifth and sixth centra. The Ukrainian specimen documents the presence of Lates in the northern Paratethys in the latest Miocene. After this time, species of Lates persisted in freshwaters in the Mediterranean area (Israel and Africa), but are no longer found in the marine waters of the region. We suggest that latines were extirpated from the Mediterranean and Paratethys by the rapidity of the changes in salinity that occurred in the Tethys Mediterranean basin and Paratethys as a result of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We here report the oldest remains (teeth) of the African tigerfish ( Hydrocynus) from the Oued Méridja and Garet Dermchane sections, Hamada of Méridja deposits, in southwestern Algeria. The tigerfish, a large carnivorous fish today represented by several species in the freshwaters of Africa, was previously found in upper middle to upper Eocene deposits in Egypt and Libya. The remains described here are several million years older, being early to middle Eocene in age, and are associated with other fish elements including lungfish, polypterid, amiiform, possible cichlid, and Alestes and Brycinus material, along with several fish elements that cannot be associated with a specific taxon and some fragmentary amphibian bones. This represents the first detailed description of a freshwater fish assemblage from the Eocene of Algeria, although a short list of fish taxa from Eocene Algerian deposits was previously reported. Furthermore, these new Algerian fossils allow us to assess the hypothesized existence of an east-west or west-east hydrological connection between eastern and western parts of northern Africa. We suggest that the shared presence of tigerfish in the Eocene deposits of Algeria, Libya, and Egypt does not necessarily indicate a permanent (i.e., nonseasonal) connection east-west or west-east among these areas. Rather, the observed faunal similarities could have been the result of seasonal flooding that caused the dispersal of Hydrocynus and associated taxa across coastal flood plains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreyclupea loonensis, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the early-middle Albian Loon River Formation of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The only specimen of the new species was originally described as a part of an enigmatic taxon Erichalcis arcta in 1975, which was assigned to the Clupeomorpha. Since then, E. arcta has proven to be a composite taxon, made up of clupeomorph and non-clupeomorph specimens. The non-clupeomorph material was redescribed as a Euteleostei incertae sedis and retained the species name. Described herein is the fossil clupeomorph specimen originally assigned to Erichalcis arcta. As in other members of the superorder Clupeomorpha, the ventral margin of the body in the specimen is covered with spiny scutes, and the supratemporal commissural sensory canal passes through the parietals. Along with these diagnostic characters, the new taxon also shows primitive traits of the basal members of the group, including a medioparietal skull roof, unfused halves of the neural spines of the abdominal vertebrae, and no evidence of presence of the recessus lateralis. When included in a phylogenetic analysis of the Early Cretaceous clupeomorphs, the new species forms a clade with the Early Cretaceous clupeomorphs from Mexico and Brazil, Ranulfoichthys dorsonudum and Scutatuspinosus itapagipensis, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fayum Depression of Egypt has produced a great diversity of fossil material, including marine and freshwater fishes. In contrast to the Eocene formations of the Fayum, the Oligocene Jbel Qatrani Formation has been more or less consistently considered to be deposited in a freshwater environment; however, the ichthyofauna indicates a more complex picture. Cenozoic fishes have been convincingly used to interpret the palaeoenvironment in which sediments were deposited. Based on the elasmobranch and osteichthyan faunas of the Jbel Qatrani Formation, we interpret that this formation was not deposited entirely in fresh waters, but had some marine influence, particularly in the lower part of the formation. The mixture of freshwater elements, such as polypterids and alestids, with brackish and marine elements, including myliobatid stingrays, in the Quarry E site suggests a local palaeoenvironment that was very close to the shoreline, in a less protected area, or under more seasonal influence than the rest of the sites in the formation. Additionally, the early Oligocene elasmobranch fishes from Quarry E have a strong biogeographic relationship with sites in Oman and Pakistan, in the eastern Tethys, representing a restricted fauna possibly limited in distribution by cooling global temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent survey of the middle Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation along the Peace River, Alberta, has yielded a partial skull of a large acipenseriform fish. The fossil was from an animal approximately 5 m in length, based on comparisons with living relatives. Though incomplete, this represents an important record of mid-Cretaceous fish from northern North America, as formations of this age are virtually unexplored in northern regions. This fossil is the oldest acipenserid from North America, and one of the most northerly known. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miocene sediments of southern Saskatchewan have long been known for the mammalian fauna they have produced, but little or nothing has been reported of the associated fish material. Recent examination of this material collected over half a century ago has revealed the presence of a walleye fish. Walleyes and other members of the family Percidae had previously been thought to have arrived in North America as late as the Pleistocene, and only in the last few years has evidence been found demonstrating their existence in North America in the Pliocene. The Pliocene material, from Arctic Canada, indicated that percids may have invaded North America from Europe during the late Tertiary via the Bering Isthmus. The material presented here shows that in fact percids were already in more southern areas of Canada about 10 million years prior to the Arctic walleye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horseshoeichthys armaserratus, gen. et sp. nov., (Clupeomorpha: Ellimmichthyiformes: Sorbinichthyidae) is described from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Maastrichtian), Albertosaurus bonebed locality, Alberta, Canada. Horseshoeichthys armaserratus is classified as an ellimmichthyiform based on the following characters: the presence of a sixth infraorbital with a sensory canal that leads to the fifth infraorbital, absence of a supraorbital bone, subrectangular predorsal scutes, parietals in contact with each other at the midline, and two supramaxillae. The specimen is classified in the Sorbinichthyidae Family as it has abdominal ribs articulating in pits on the centra, posterior spines on predorsal scutes, and absence of a median spine on predorsal scutes. A new genus and species is proposed based on the presence of (anteriorly) Y-shaped mesethmoid, supraorbital, subrectangular predorsal scutes with coarse, rounded serrae on the posterior margin and a large anterior projection, scales with serrae on the circuli, and two postcleithra. This specimen represents the first freshwater ellimmichthyiform from the Upper Cretaceous of North America and the highest paleolatitude (59°N) occurrence known for the family. Furthermore, the dentary and centra have distinctive morphologies that are matched by specimens in microvertebrate localities from three underlying formations, including the Milk River Formation (Santonian), which indicates at least a 14 million year history for this lineage. Horseshoeichthys armaserratus, gen. et sp. nov., (Clupeomorpha: Ellimmichthyiformes: Sorbinichthyidae), de la localité du gisement d'ossements d'Albertosaurus de la Formation de Horseshoe Canyon (Maastrichtien), en Alberta, au Canada, est décrit. Horseshoeichthys armaserratus est affecté aux ellimmichthyiformes à la lumière des caractères suivants : la présence d'un sixième sous-orbitaire présentant un canal sensoriel qui mène au cinquième sous-orbitaire, l'absence d'un os sus-orbitaire, des plaques osseuses pré-dorsales sub-rectangulaires, des pariétaux en contact les uns avec les autres au niveau de la ligne médiane et deux sus-maxillaires. Le spécimen est affecté aux sorbinichthyidés puisqu'il présente des côtes abdominales s'articulant dans des fosses sur le centrum et des épines postérieures sur les plaques osseuses pré-dorsales, et que ces dernières n'ont pas d'épine médiane. Un nouveau genre et une nouvelle espèce sont proposés à la lumière de la présence d'un mésethmoïde (antérieurement) en forme de Y, d'un sus-orbitaire, de plaques osseuses pré-dorsales sub-rectangulaires présentant des stries arrondies et épaisses sur leur bord libre postérieur et une grande projection antérieure, d'écailles avec des stries sur le circulus et de deux postcleithra. Ce spécimen représente le premier ellimmichthyiforme d'eau douce du Crétacé supérieur de l'Amérique du Nord et l'exemple connu de cette famille provenant de la plus haute paléolatitude (59oN). En outre, le dentaire et le centrum présentent des morphologies particulières semblables à celles de spécimens trouvés dans des localités de microvertébrés de trois formations sous-jacentes, dont la Formation de Milk River (Santonien), ce qui indique une histoire d'au moins 14 millions d'années pour cette lignée. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large collection of lizard vertebrae from northern Africa represents the oldest unambiguous occurrence of the genus Varanus. The fossils come from late Eocene and early Oligocene freshwater deposits of the Fayum, Egypt, an area noted for many significant primate finds. The recovery and identification of this material indicate that the genus Varanus arose in Africa, before dispersing to Australia and Asia. This dispersal occurred prior to the early to mid-Miocene, by which time fossil Varanus are known from Australia and Eurasia. Although the dispersal route remains unknown, the lizard material reported here supports the hypothesis that a corridor existed allowing freshwater and terrestrial organisms to cross from Africa to Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agamid lizards are currently found in Africa, Asia, the eastern Mediterranean region and Australia. Together with the Chamaeleonidae and some extinct basal forms, they comprise the Acrodonta, lizards with acrodont dentition. The Acrodonta have been suggested to have a Gondwanan origin, with the oldest members found in the Triassic of India. The first agamids are known from the Late Cretaceous of Asia, and the group is widely distributed in the northern hemisphere throughout much of the Paleogene. However, the fossil history of Acrodonta on the Afro-Arabian plate is extremely limited: a single jaw fragment bearing acrodont dentition, possibly attributable to Agamidae, has been reported from the Paleogene of Morocco, and material identified as agamid was reported from the Oligocene of Oman. We here add to the African record the first clear evidence of Agamidae, represented by several jaws with attached teeth from earliest Oligocene deposits of the Jebel Qatrani Formation in the Fayum Depression, Egypt. Characters of the teeth, including very rounded labial surface, shearing edges concave lingually, shearing tip crescentic and accessory cusps absent, are similar to those of Uromastyx. Species of Uromastyx currently inhabit the Saharan and Somalian regions of Africa and adjacent Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil bearing beds of Moghra, Egypt, have been well known for over 100 years, but the ichthyofaunas have not been examined since the early 1900s. Moghra, on the northern rim of the Qattara Depression, preserves early Miocene (18-17 Ma) fluvio-marine sediments with fossils of wood, invertebrates and vertebrates. The Moghra site is faunally similar to the Libyan Gebel Zelten site, at least in terms of the fossil mammals. The fossil-bearing localities in the Moghra Formation number about 40 and span a distance of about 50 km. There is likely more than one depositional environment represented. The fish previously reported from Moghra include two teleosts, Synodontis (Mochokidae) and Lates (Latidae), as well as the elasmobranchs, Pristis (Pristidae), Myliobatis (Myliobatidae) and Sphyrna (Sphyrnidae). Several more recent expeditions to the Moghra localities recovered abundant selachian remains. This rich assemblage included species from the genera Carcharias (Odontaspididae), Megaselachus (Otodontidae), Cosmopolitodus (Lamnidae), Hemipristis (Hemigaleidae), Galeocerdo and Carcharhinus (Carcharhinidae), Myliobatis (Myliobatidae), Pteromylaeus (Myliobatidae) and Aetobatis (Myliobatidae). With the additional taxa from these collections, we can build a more comprehensive understanding of the Moghra fauna and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Percid remains from Pliocene deposits on Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada, are identified as a species of Sander, similar to the walleye and sauger of North America and the pike–perch of Europe and western Asia. They are named as a new species, Sander teneri. These remains are the most northerly percid elements found to date and suggest the palaeoenvironment was significantly warmer in the Pliocene than it is currently. The fossil remains show the presence in North America of the family Percidae as well as the genus Sander prior to the Pleistocene, indicating a previously proposed Pleistocene immigration from Europe or Asia can be discounted. These fossils contradict an earlier hypothesis that percids, in particular Sander, crossed from Eurasia to North America in the Pleistocene; instead, the fossils show percids were already in the area by the Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent collection of actinopterygian fossil fishes from a previously unreported locality in the Cenomanian or Turonian of southeastern Morocco includes a single specimen of a macrosemiid fish. Macrosemiids are more common in Jurassic and Early Cretaceous deposits, with the previously known range of the family being Late Triassic through Aptian or Albian. This discovery therefore extends the temporal range of the family into the Late Cretaceous. Moreover, macrosemiids had not previously been reported from northern Africa or the Moroccan area of the Tethys basin; therefore, this fossil also increases the geographical range of the family. The Moroccan macrosemiid is described in a new genus and species, Agoultichthys chattertoni. A phylogenetic analysis places it basal to all other genera of the family with the exception of Notagogus. Diagnostic characters of the new species include the high number of scales laterally along the body and the greater number of dorsal fin rays than in other members of the family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thousands of vertebrate fossils have been recovered from the lower Omo River Valley, in southern Ethiopia, however, fishes have been poorly reported. Here we describe fossil fish remains deriving from the Shungura Formation, part of the Omo Group of deposits ranging in date from 1.8 to 3.4 my. Two new species are reported, Sindacharax omoensis (Characiformes) and Lates arambourgi (Perciformes), which suggest greater diversity of these genera than previously documented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Upper Eocene and lower Oligocene deposits of the Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum Depression, Egypt, have provided a number of skulls and other bones that belong to a species of snakehead (Channidae). This material is morphologically more similar to species of Parachanna, rather than species of Channa, and is here described as a new species, Parachanna fayumensis. It differs from the other species of the genus in possessing a prominent tooth patch on the posterior end of the parasphenoid. This new species of channid is the oldest member of the family known from Africa. Prior to this record, the oldest African fossil channid material was found in Mio-Pliocene deposits. This lack of information on the African fossil record leads to biogeographic reconstructions in which channids were believed to have arisen in Asia and invaded Africa through fresh waters, only after the two continents were connected in the Miocene. The Egyptian material shows that channids were in the fresh waters of Africa in the latest Eocene. Either a freshwater connection existed between Africa and Asia before or during the late Eocene, or members of the Channidae were able to migrate through marine waters to attain their current distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of osteoglossomorph fish is described from the Eocene Mahenge site in north central Tanzania. The new species is sympatric with the previously described osteoglossomorph† Singida jacksonoides, but is easily distinguished from it by the presence in the new species of teeth on the jaws and entopterygoid. The new species shares characters with the Heterotidinae, such as the two arms of the preopercle being of similar length and the posterior end of the maxilla lying on the dentary, and other characters with the Osteoglossinae (including† Phareodus), for example the enlarged pectoral fin ray and the shape of the opercular bone. New specimens of† S. jacksonoidesalso have been recovered from the site, providing more information on the osteology of this fish. The relationships of these two Mahenge osteoglossomorphs are assessed, with both fishes placed within the Osteoglossidae, but of uncertain position in the family. Addition of the new species to previous cladistic data sets, and the revised information for† S. jacksonoides, causes the subfamily Osteoglossinae to be nonmonophyletic. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London,Zoological Journal of the LinneanSociety, 2005,144, 213–228. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishes from the late Eocene and Oligocene Jebel Qatrani Formation of the Fayum, Egypt, have been collected for many years, but have not been extensively studied. Collections from various sites in the formation, predominantly representing riverine and shallow lake deposits, include remains of several fishes not known previously. The teleost fishes from these collections [representing Characiformes, Siluriformes, Cichlidae, Latidae (= Centropomidae), and Channidae] include species that are similar to those found in the older, underlying, Qasr el Sagha Formation (catfishes), as well as species of fishes previously unrecorded from the Fayum (cichlids and latids), or even from the Tertiary of Africa (channids). It has been suggested that the Jebel Qatrani Formation represents an area of swampy rivers with overgrown banks and floating vegetation and at least one small lake. The fish remains support this reconstruction of the palaeoenvironment, and further indicate that open riverine habitat was also probably available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several specimens of a fossil catfish, collected from the Eocene Mahenge site of Tanzania, are identified as a member of Chrysichthys (Claroteidae) based on several features, including long, thick pectoral and dorsal spines and the presence of nasal barbels. The fossil fish is described as a new species based on unique characters (e.g., 20 principal caudal fin rays). The fossil record of Siluriformes in Africa includes few articulated skeletons; isolated spines or crania are more common. Although several African Eocene catfish crania previously have been described in their own genera, the Mahenge specimens preserve details that indicate their relationship to the living genus Chrysichthys, and therefore the new species is included in that genus instead of being given its own. Previously, the oldest record for Chrysichthys was from the Pliocene; these specimens extend the range of Chrysichthys back to the Eocene. The Mahenge locality itself is significant because it contributes knowledge of the poorly known sub-Saharan Eocene fauna and flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study which identified four specimens of a small fossil fish from the Eocene Mahenge site of Tanzania. Geology; Materials and methods; Results; Discussion.

Features paleontologist Robert Lynn Carroll, with emphasis on his contributions and achievements in the field. Personal background; Career in paleontology; Influence on the study of vertebrate evolution; Awards received as a scientist and teacher.

Examines the phylogenetic relationship of the African genera Alestes and Brycinus. Consideration of the interrelationships of the constituent groups; Performance of cladistic analysis to support the monophyly of the family; Indication that several species should be removed from the genus Brycinus.

The family Latidae is considered to have originated in marine waters of the Tethys, and the fossil record of this group indicates a widespread occurrence of latid fishes in the past. In the Mediterranean–Paratethyan basins, the genus Lates is represented by a number of fossil species, the youngest of which have been reported from Miocene deposits of Italy and Ukraine. Here we report on Lates fossils recovered from Late Miocene (Pontian) deposits of the Shkodova Gora locality of Ukraine, with a description of a new species †Lates odessanus sp. nov. The new species bears distinct morphological traits, especially on its maxilla, premaxilla, and parasphenoid, not found in other spatiotemporally close relatives. The fossil record shows that much of the latid species diversity was lost after the Late Miocene, and the newly described species, †L. odessanus, appears to be the last known extinct representative of this group in low salinity deposits of the Mediterranean–Paratethyan basins. The only extant Lates species in the Mediterranean, L. niloticus, has survived in estuarine environments of the southern shore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two species of fossil cichlid are described from Oligocene deposits of Libya. One is formally described as Libyachromis fugacior gen. et sp. nov. This species is considered to be the sister group to most of the remaining members of the African subfamily Pseudocrenilabrinae, perhaps close to Heterochromis, and is characterized by two predorsal bones, dorsal fin with 12–14 spines and 9–12 rays, 24–28 vertebrae, cycloid scales present on body and head including cheek, and only unicuspid teeth present on the oral and pharyngeal jaws. The second fossil form is less complete, and so we do not formally name it, but it appears to be most closely related to Tylochromis, and thus we place it in the Tylochromini. These new fossils increase our understanding of the diversity of cichlid lineages in the Palaeogene. The unnamed fossil supports the presence of Tylochromini in the Eocene and Oligocene of North Africa, as was previously suggested by the remains of partial lower pharyngeal jaws from Egypt and Libya. The named fossil adds to the known diversity of early Cenozoic cichlids that document the presence of probably Heterochromini along with Tylochromini in North Africa. [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]

Although fragmentary remains of sturgeon, such as scutes and pectoral spines, are relatively common in fossil deposits, articulated fossilized skeletons are rare in Upper Cretaceous sediments of North America. Currently, there are four extinct species referred to Acipenseridae reported from the Upper Cretaceous of North America; two of them (†Acipenser eruciferus and †A. albertensis) are of doubtful validity because they are based on isolated elements that are probably not diagnostic. Only two species, †Priscosturion longipinnis and †Protoscaphirhynchus squamosus, have been described based on articulated skeletons. In June 2016, an articulated sturgeon specimen was discovered in the Campanian Dinosaur Park Formation of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. This specimen preserves the skull and anterior half to two-thirds of the body but is missing the pelvic, dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. This new specimen cannot be included in any of the previously named taxa, so we describe it here as a new genus and species, †Anchiacipenser acanthaspis. A combination of several characters allows us to diagnose the new sturgeon from Dinosaur Provincial Park as a new taxon, including the dermal cranial bones being strongly ornamented with straight and anastomosing ridges, the dorsal scutes being large and laterally expanded and bearing median spines, and the presence of an extensive cover of smaller dermal scales on the flanks. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that this new taxon belongs in Acipenseridae, although its precise relationships within this clade are not clear. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:854CE883-AB0A-4A21-93F2-54E308F95AB4 Citation for this article: Sato, H., A. M. Murray, O. Vernygora, and P. J. Currie. 2018. A rare, articulated sturgeon (Chondrostei: Acipenseriformes) from the Upper Cretaceous of Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1488137. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewed research at the early Miocene fossil site of Bukwa in northeastern Uganda has resulted in new fossil finds, including fish, with representatives of two families, Cichlidae and Alestidae. Although the two families were previously briefly reported from Bukwa, we here give a more detailed account of the fishes based on newly collected material. The cichlid material, mainly composed of vertebrae, can be tentatively assigned to one or more species of Pseudocrenilabrinae. The alestid material, comprising a diversity of teeth, likely represents several different species ofAlestes, Brycinus, and/orBryconaethiops. Although the ichthyofaunal diversity of Bukwa is low, the fishes are important for indicating the paleoenvironment and hydrographic connections of Bukwa. The early Miocene was a critical time for African faunas, because it was during this time that the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian plates came into contact with one another, ending the long isolation of Africa, which, along with rifting in East Africa, created new terrestrial and hydrological connections allowing faunal interchanges. Bukwa is one of only a few African early Miocene localities known that sample fish and, based on these fish, the site probably represents an area of interconnected lakes and large rivers, including floodplains. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Murray, A. M., T. Argyriou, S. Cote, and L. MacLatchy. 2017. The fishes of Bukwa, Uganda, a lower Miocene (Burdigalian) locality of East Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1324460. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The late Miocene and Pliocene Middle Awash fish fauna is one of the earliest known Neogene fish faunas in eastern Africa and is the earliest known from the Horn of Africa. The fauna was recovered as part of the Middle Awash research project, which was designed to investigate the Mio-Plio-Pleistocene deposits along the shores of the Awash River, Ethiopia. Remains of eight fish taxa were recovered:Clarotes, Cichlidae, andParachanna, which are native to the African continent where they have a long fossil record, and cf.Labeo, Barbus, Labeobarbus, Bagrus, andClarias, whose origins were in Asia. These genera and families are all extant; however, certain fossil elements of cf.LabeoandBagrusdiffer morphologically from modern species. When and how the Asian-derived taxa moved into Africa is enigmatic. The Middle Awash fossil deposits are located within the Horn of Africa, long suggested as a possible crossing point between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula in the late Miocene. Data presented in this paper suggest that in the late Miocene, the Horn of Africa region was accessible from the southern Arabian Peninsula via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait land bridge, which was (only) viable in the late Miocene. This land bridge has been implicated in the migration of other freshwater and terrestrial animals between Africa and Arabia. The subsequent movement ofBarbussp.,Labeobarbussp.,Bagrussp., andClariassp. into eastern Africa had a large impact on the diversity and abundance of later populations of African freshwater fish. Citation for this article: Stewart, K. M., and A. M. Murray. 2017. Biogeographic implications of fossil fishes from the Awash River, Ethiopia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1269115. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extinct clupeomorph genusArmigatushas been included in a number of phylogenetic analyses, with disagreement about its placement and relationships among the fishes of the extinct clupeomorph order Ellimmichthyiformes. There are currently four species known, all from the Late Cretaceous Tethys Sea. Here we describe a fifth species ofArmigatusfrom Campanian deposits of Dalmatia and present a phylogenetic analysis of the genus. The new species is found to be sister group toA. oligodentatusfrom Morocco, and the two together form the sister group to the species from Lebanon,A. namourensisplusA. brevissimus(A. alticorpuswas excluded because of lack of data). The genusArmigatusis found to be monophyletic, as are the included members of its sister group,Diplomystus, and the analysis supports the grouping of these two genera in the family Armigatidae. The relationships among the species ofArmigatusindicate that these fishes arose in the eastern part of the central Tethys, then from there reached more northern (Dalmatian) and western (Morocco) areas. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:178B49D2-8D68-4C88-937E-EE93E3C424F7 Citation for this article: Murray, A. M., O. Vernygora, S. Japundžić, J. Radovčić, M. V. H. Wilson, D. Bardack, and T. Grande. 2016. Relationships of the species ofArmigatus(Clupeomorpha, Ellimmichthyiformes) and the description of a new species from the Cretaceous of Dalmatia, Croatia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1226851. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bridger Formation of the early middle Eocene of Wyoming has been studied for its sedimentology, paleobotany, herpetofauna, and mammalian fauna. Although several taxa have been erected based on its abundant fish material, there has been little work on Bridger Formation fishes other than these initial descriptions. We here describe the fishes of the Farson Cutoff Fishbed, a single Bridger Formation locality in the Bridger Basin. This material is almost entirely disarticulated and has a notably low taxonomic diversity, representing only three taxa: Lepisosteidae,Phareodus, andAstephus. However, a wide variety of elements are three-dimensionally preserved, showing details that are not visible in articulated specimens and providing insight on the internal anatomy of some elements. The longevity and growth rate of the Bridger Formation catfishAstephuswere compared with those of the Cypress Hills FormationAstephus. Longevities were found to be similar, but two distinct growth rates were found in the Cypress Hills material, supporting the hypothesis that twoAstephustaxa were present in that formation. The Bridger FormationAstephushad a similar growth rate to the smaller Cypress Hills Formation catfishAstephustaxon B, whereas the largerAstephustaxon A had a significantly faster growth rate. We here interpret the low taxonomic diversity of the Bridger Formation assemblage as a paleoenvironmental indication of hypoxic conditions in the depositional environment. The Farson Cutoff Fishbed probably represents poorly oxygenated backwaters that would have been susceptible to becoming isolated and infilled, preserving a low diversity of fishes capable of sustaining hypoxic conditions. Citation for this article: Divay, J. D., and A. M. Murray. 2016. The fishes of the Farson Cutoff Fishbed, Bridger Formation (Eocene), greater Green River Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1212867. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early Eocene fluvial ichthyofaunas of Wyoming are relatively poorly known compared with the better-preserved lake deposits of the Green River Formation. We describe the teleost fishes from a single floodplain locality in the main body of the Wasatch Formation that immediately predates the formation of Lake Gosiute, in the Washakie Basin of Wyoming. This assemblage was deposited during the Graybullian substage of the Wasatchian Stage, corresponding to the onset of the rapid climatic warming leading to the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum. In addition to a lepisosteiform and an amiid, the locality has a teleost ichthyofauna comprisingDiplomystus(Ellimmichthyiformes), a gonorynchiform probably representingNotogoneus, amblyopsid-like percopsiforms that may represent up to three taxa, and perciforms among which are probably an indeterminate centrarchid and ‘Priscacara.’ The fauna demonstrates that many of the Green River Formation fish taxa were already present in fluvial environments prior to the formation of the Green River lakes, indicating that the subsequent climate warming had little effect on these fishes. Some of the elements recognized here as probably representingNotogoneuswere previously recovered from Late Cretaceous deposits from Utah to Alberta, suggesting that this gonorynchid was wide-ranging in North American fluvial environments since Mesozoic times, as were several other taxa identified here. Furthermore, the ichthyofauna indicates that the depositional environment was well vegetated and well oxygenated. These waters were shallow, with gentle flow strengths, which, together with the high oxygen content, suggests that the sediments of the locality were deposited in small ponds connected to an active river system. Citation for this article: Divay, J. D., and A. M. Murray. 2016. An early Eocene fish fauna from the Bitter Creek area of the Wasatch Formation of southwestern Wyoming, U.S.A. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1196211. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Articulated fishes are rare in Late Cretaceous non-marine deposits of the Western Interior; fishes are more often represented by disarticulated elements in vertebrate microfossil localities. A new Maastrichtian locality of the Scollard Formation in central Alberta, Canada, has been named Pisces Point to reflect the diversity of articulated fishes that are now being recovered from this site. Material collected from the Pisces Point locality includes a percopsiform, a semionotiform, at least one esociform, and at least two osteoglossomorphs. One of these is described here as a new genus and species, †Wilsonichthys aridinsulensis. A phylogenetic analysis shows this new taxon to be the sister group of most other Osteoglossiformes. The new articulated material allows us to identify some of the microfossil remains previously collected from other Late Cretaceous sites as belonging to the same or a similar taxon. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C35449C0-5711-4618-9084-177ADA83FEE7 Citation for this article: Murray, A. M., M. G. Newbrey, A. G. Neuman, and D. B. Brinkman. 2016. New articulated osteoglossomorph from Late Cretaceous freshwater deposits (Maastrichtian, Scollard Formation) of Alberta, Canada. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1120737. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shads of the genus Alosa are essential to commercial fisheries across North America and Europe, but in some areas their species boundaries remain controversial. Traditional morphology‐based taxonomy of Alosa spp. has relied heavily on the number of gill rakers and body proportions, but these can be highly variable. We use mitochondrial (mt)DNA (coI and cytb) and genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) along with morphological characters to assess differentiation among endemic Ponto‐Caspian shads in the Sea of Azov. Morphological species assignments based on gill‐raker number were not congruent with genetic lineages shown by mtDNA and SNPs. Iterative analysis revealed that genetic lineages were associated with sampling location and several other morphometric traits (caudal peduncle depth, pre‐anal length and head length). Phylogenetic analysis of the genus placed Ponto‐Caspian Alosa spp. in the same evolutionary lineage as endangered Alosa spp. endemic to Greece, highlighting the importance of these findings to conservation management. We conclude that gill‐raker number is not reliable for delimiting species of Alosa. This taxonomic uncertainty should be addressed by examining type material to provide a robust integrative classification for these commercially important fishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater fish fossils representing two or more species of Sander (S. lucioperca, S. svetovidovi, and Sander sp.) and Leobergia zaissanica are reported from a number of localities in Southeastern Europe. These localities sample the late Miocene through early Pliocene, when the landscape was undergoing major changes associated with the collision of the Afro-Arabian and Eurasian plate. This caused changes to ocean circulation with the closing of the Tethys, as well as uplift of mountain ranges in Europe. This was also a period of significant climate change, with the onset of polar glaciation causing a cooling, drying phase globally but also specifically documented for this region. The fossil fish material documents the presence of percids during this time and also the apparent loss of Leobergia in the Pliocene. The loss of Leobergia may well have been caused by a lower tolerance to cool climates of this genus compared to Sander, a genus with five extant species. Citation for this article: Kovalchuk, O. M., and A. M. Murray. 2016. Late Miocene and Pliocene pikeperches (Teleostei, Percidae) of southeastern Europe. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1100999. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genusArmigatusis described from the Cenomanian/early Turonian Akrabou Formation of Morocco. Similar to other ellimmichthyiforms,Armigatus oligodentatus, sp. nov., has parietals in contact with each other along the midline, has a beryciform foramen in the anterior ceratohyal, and lacks the recessus lateralis. The new species is placed in the genusArmigatusbased on the incomplete predorsal series of heart-shaped scutes with rounded and smooth posterior border. However, this new species differs from the other known members of the genus in the lack of teeth on the parasphenoid and endopterygoid bones. This is the first report of a species ofArmigatusfrom southeastern Morocco; previously, the genus was known only from the Late Cretaceous deposits of the eastern part of the Tethys. Therefore,Armigatus oligodentatussp. nov. extends the distribution of the genus across the Tethys Sea and provides valuable information about the evolutionary history and paleoecology of the Ellimmichthyiformes. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FD65FEA4-E219-4892-8AA4-6254E60EE5DB SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Vernygora, O., and A. M. Murray. 2015. A new species ofArmigatus(Clupeomorpha, Ellimmichthyiformes) from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco, and its phylogenetic relationships. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2015.1031342. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT—The Eocene through Miocene Cypress Hills Formation of Saskatchewan and Alberta has been the basis of studies on sedimentology, paleobotany, herpetofauna, avifauna, and mammalian local faunas. We describe the ichthyofauna from the Eastend area of the formation, representing late Eocene Chadronian to early Oligocene Whitneyan deposits. This fauna is diverse, including at least 14 fish taxa:Lepisosteus, Amiinae, aff.Hiodon, at least three cypriniforms among which is aPtychocheilus-like leuciscine and at least one catostomid, two ictalurids, both ascribed toAstephus, a probable salmoniform, an amblyopsid-like percopsiform,Mioplosus, a probable moronid, a centrarchid, and at least one other perciform of uncertain affinity. The formation may therefore represent the first fossil record of the Amblyopsidae, and the first North American occurrence of the Moronidae. The composition of the ichthyofauna suggests higher temperatures during the Eocene–Oligocene transition than at present. Paleotemperatures similar to those of the Gulf Coast of the United States are indicated by the present ranges of several taxa, as well as by the large sizes attained by some of these fishes. The high relative abundance of abraded ictalurid material representing small individuals suggests that much of the formation was deposited in shallow, hypoxic floodplain pools that may have seasonally dried out. However, the large sizes attained by some taxa and the diversity of the fauna as a whole indicate that the neighboring aquatic environments were diverse, with well-oxygenated, vegetated, permanent, and deep-water environments. This suggests the presence of a mosaic of conditions, such as is found in large floodplains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]