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A primitive sarcopterygian fish with an eyestalk

Author

Listed:
  • Min Zhu

    (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643)

  • Xiaobo Yu

    (Kean University)

  • Per E. Ahlberg

    (The Natural History Museum)

Abstract

The discovery of two Early Devonian osteichthyan (bony fish) fossils1,2,3,4 has challenged established ideas about the origin of osteichthyans and their divergence into actinopterygians (teleosts and their relatives) and sarcopterygians (tetrapods, coelacanths, lungfishes and related groups)5,6,7. Psarolepis from China1,2,8,9 and an unnamed braincase from Australia3 combine derived sarcopterygian and actinopterygian characters with primitive features previously restricted to non-osteichthyans, suggesting that early osteichthyan evolution may have involved substantial parallellism between sarcopterygians and actinopterygians. But interpretation of these fossils has been hampered by poor phylogenetic resolution1,3. Here we describe a basal sarcopterygian fish, Achoania gen, et sp. nov., that fills the morphological gap between Psarolepis and higher sarcoptergyians. We also report the presence of eyestalk attachments in both Achoania and Psarolepis, showing that this supposedly non-osteichthyan feature occurs in basal sarcopterygians as well as the actinoptergyian-like Australian braincase3.

Suggested Citation

  • Min Zhu & Xiaobo Yu & Per E. Ahlberg, 2001. "A primitive sarcopterygian fish with an eyestalk," Nature, Nature, vol. 410(6824), pages 81-84, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:410:y:2001:i:6824:d:10.1038_35065078
    DOI: 10.1038/35065078
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