Gigantopterus

Gigantopterus
Temporal range:
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Peltopleuriformes
Family: Thoracopteridae
Genus: Gigantopterus
Abel, 1906
Species:
G. telleri
Binomial name
Gigantopterus telleri
Abel, 1906

Gigantopterus ("giant wing") is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish that lived around what is now Europe during the Late Triassic epoch.[1] A single species is known, G. telleri from the Carnian-aged Reingrabener Schiefer of Austria.[2][3] Like its close relative Thoracopterus, it had convergently evolved large pectoral fins reminiscent of modern flying fish. Tintori & Sassi (1992) suggested that it may be synonymous with Thoracopterus[4], but Shen & Arratia (2021) reaffirmed it as being a distinct genus.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
  2. ^ "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Archived from the original on 2024-12-07. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  3. ^ Griffith, John (1977). "The Upper Triassic fishes from Polzberg bei Lunz, Austria". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 60 (1): 1–93. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1977.tb00834.x.
  4. ^ Tintori, Andrea; Sassi, Davide (1992-09-03). "Thoracopterus Bronn (Osteichthyes: Actinopterygii): A gliding fish from the Upper Triassic of Europe". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 12 (3): 265–283. doi:10.1080/02724634.1992.10011459. ISSN 0272-4634.
  5. ^ Shen, Chenchen; Arratia, Gloria (2021-10-02). "Re-description of the sexually dimorphic peltopleuriform fishWushaichthys exquisitus(Middle Triassic, China): taxonomic implications and phylogenetic relationships". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19 (19): 1317–1342. doi:10.1080/14772019.2022.2029595. ISSN 1477-2019. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06.

Further reading