Ceratodus
Encyclopedia
Ceratodus was a wide-ranging genus of extinct sarcopterygii
an lungfish
. Fossil evidence dates back to the Middle Triassic
228 million years ago. A wide range of fossil species from different time periods have been found around the world in places such as the United States, Argentina, England, Germany, Egypt, Madagascar, China, and Australia. Ceratodus is believed to have become extinct sometime around the beginning of the Maastrichtian
stage of the Late Cretaceous
, 70 Ma. The closest living relative of Ceratodus is thought to be the Queensland lungfish
, Neoceratodus forsteri, which means "new Ceratodus" in Greek.
Sarcopterygii
The Sarcopterygii or lobe-finned fishes – sometimes considered synonymous with Crossopterygii constitute a clade of the bony fishes, though a strict classification would include the terrestrial vertebrates...
an lungfish
Lungfish
Lungfish are freshwater fish belonging to the Subclass Dipnoi. Lungfish are best known for retaining characteristics primitive within the Osteichthyes, including the ability to breathe air, and structures primitive within Sarcopterygii, including the presence of lobed fins with a well-developed...
. Fossil evidence dates back to the Middle Triassic
Middle Triassic
In the geologic timescale, the Middle Triassic is the second of three epochs of the Triassic period or the middle of three series in which the Triassic system is divided. It spans the time between 245 ± 1.5 Ma and 228 ± 2 Ma...
228 million years ago. A wide range of fossil species from different time periods have been found around the world in places such as the United States, Argentina, England, Germany, Egypt, Madagascar, China, and Australia. Ceratodus is believed to have become extinct sometime around the beginning of the Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
stage of the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
, 70 Ma. The closest living relative of Ceratodus is thought to be the Queensland lungfish
Queensland Lungfish
The Queensland lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri is the sole surviving member of the family Ceratodontidae and order Ceratodontiformes. It is one of only six extant lungfish species in the world...
, Neoceratodus forsteri, which means "new Ceratodus" in Greek.
Species
- C. latissimus (type)
Agassiz, 1837 - C. africanus
Haug, 1905 - C. cruciferus
CopeEdward Drinker CopeEdward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1876 - C. felchi
Kirkland, 1987 - C. frazieri
OstromJohn OstromJohn H. Ostrom was an American paleontologist who revolutionized modern understanding of dinosaurs in the 1960s, when he demonstrated that dinosaurs are more like big non-flying birds than they are like lizards , an idea first proposed by Thomas Henry Huxley in the 1860s, but which had garnered...
, 1970 - C. guentheri
MarshOthniel Charles MarshOthniel Charles Marsh was an American paleontologist. Marsh was one of the preeminent scientists in the field; the discovery or description of dozens of news species and theories on the origins of birds are among his legacies.Born into a modest family, Marsh was able to afford higher education...
, 1878 [moved to PotamoceratodusPotamoceratodusPotamoceratodus is an extinct genus of sarcopterygiian lungfish which existed in Colorado, USA, during the late Jurassic. It was first named by Jason D. Pardo, Adam K. Huttenlocker, Bryan J. Small and Mark A. Gorman II in 2010 and the type species is Potamoceratodus guentheri....
in 2010 by Pardo et al.] - C. gustasoni
Kirkland, 1987 - C. hieroglyphus
CopeEdward Drinker CopeEdward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...
, 1876 - C. humei
Priem, 1914 - C. robustus
KnightCharles R. KnightCharles Robert Knight was an American artist best known for his influential paintings of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals...
, 1898 - C. szechuanensis
Young, 1942