Elpistostegidae

Elipostegidae
Temporal range: Devonian
Fossil skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sarcopterygii
Family: Elipostegidae

Elpistostegidae is an extinct family of tetrapod-like fish that lived in the Late Devonian period (Late Givetian to Early Frasnian). Fossils of skull and a part of the backbone have been found at Escuminac Formation in Quebec, Canada. Recently, the entire fossil of the fish was found in the same formation. It is proposed by the palaeontologist Richard Cloutier at Université du Québec à Rimouski that Elpistostege may dethrone Tiktaalik in the position of the nearest fish from the tetrapods. Family based on cladistic affinities compiled by Swartz, 2012.[1]

References

  1. Swartz, B. (2012). "A marine stem-tetrapod from the Devonian of Western North America". PLoS ONE. 7 (3): e33683. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0033683. PMC 3308997. PMID 22448265.


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