Rhinodipterus
| Rhinodipterus Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Dipnoi |
| Genus: | †Rhinodipterus Gross, 1956 |
Rhinodipterus is an extinct genus of prehistoric dipnoan sarcopterygians or lobe-finned fish, that lived in the Frasnian stage of the Devonian period. It is believed to have inhabited shallow, salt-water reefs,[1] and is one of the earliest known examples of marine lungfish.
Palaeobiology
Research based on an exceptionally well-preserved specimen from the Gogo Formation of Australia[2] has shown that Rhinodipterus has cranial ribs attached to its braincase and was probably adapted for air-breathing to some degree as living lungfish are.[3] This could be the only case known for a marine lungfish with air-breathing adaptations.[4]
The jaws of Rhinodipterus were well adapted for resisting high stresses, indicating that it had a powerful bite despite its elongated, gracile snout.[5]
See also
References
- ^ "375 million year old fossil found". 10 February 2010. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
- ^ Long & Trinajstic 2010
- ^ Clement, A. M.; Long, J. A.; Tafforeau, P.; Ahlberg, P. E. (11 February 2016). "The dipnoan buccal pump reconstructed in 3D and implications for air breathing in Devonian lungfishes". Paleobiology. 42 (2): 289–304. Bibcode:2016Pbio...42..289C. doi:10.1017/pab.2015.41. S2CID 87484464.
- ^ "Air-breathing adaptation in a marine Devonian lungfish". 10 February 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
- ^ Bland, Joshua; Dutel, Hugo; Long, John A.; Fabbri, Matteo; Bevitt, Joseph; Trinajstic, Kate; Panagiotopoulou, Olga; Clement, Alice M. (20 June 2025). "Comparison of diverse mandibular mechanics during biting in Devonian lungfishes". iScience. 28 (7) 112970. doi:10.1016/j.isci.2025.112970. PMC 12272925. PMID 40687803. Retrieved 8 November 2025 – via Cell Press.
- Clement, A. & Long, J.A. 2010. Air-breathing adaptation in a marine Devonian lungfish. Biology Letters 6: 509–512.
- Long, J.A. & Trinajstic, K. 2010. The Late Devonian Gogo Formation Lagerstatte –Exceptional preservation and Diversity in early Vertebrates. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 38: 665-680
External links
