Redescription of †Paralycoptera wuiChang & Chou, 1977 (Teleostei: Osteoglossoidei) from the Early Cretaceous of eastern China

Abstract

from the Early Cretaceous of China is redescribed herein through a re-examination of the original materials, as well as observations on some newly collected specimens. The use of the peeling method has revealed much of the new or revised information on its osteology, e.g. aspects of the nasal, infraorbitals, retroarticular, preopercle, extrascapular, basihyal toothplate, epineural, pelvic fin, caudal skeleton and scales. The phylogenetic relationships of †Paralycoptera and other osteoglossomorphs are re-evaluated. The cladistic analysis largely agrees with the previous hypothesis that †Paralycoptera is not a †lycopterid, but rather a stem osteoglossoid. †Paralycoptera is excluded from notopteroids and exhibits the following derived characters of the Osteoglossoidei: (1) palatal area behind and below orbit completely covered by infraorbitals; (2) jaw articulation under posterior portion of orbit; (3) opercle depth twice or more its width; (4) first pectoral fin ray much enlarged and long, extending posteriorly beyond origin of pelvic fin. †Singida and †Phareodus are regarded as different levels of osteoglossoids above †Paralycoptera. †Singida shares the following derived characters with †Phareodus plus extant osteoglossoids: (1) jaw articulation posterior to orbit; (2) anterior process of hyomandibula in contact with entopterygoid; (3) subopercle small and anterior to opercle. †Phareodus shares the following derived characters with extant osteoglossoids: (1) supraorbital and otic sensory canals connected; (2) one uroneural; (3) reticulate furrows present over entire scale.

A deep-bodied ginglymodian fish from the Middle Triassic of eastern Yunnan Province, China, and the phylogeny of lower neopterygians

“…The presence of a supramaxillary bone was previously interpreted as a halecostome synapomorphy by Patterson and Rosen [26], but as a halecomorph synapomorphy by Grande and Bemis [5]. However, a single supramaxilla is also present in some non-halecomorph neopterygians, such as semionotiforms [17,27], and osteoglossiform teleosts [28]. The presence of supramaxillar bones is recently identified as a synapomorphy of the crown-group Neopterygii by Grande [3].…”

A specimen of Paralycoptera Chang & Chou 1977 (Teleostei: Osteoglossoidei) from Hong Kong (China) with a potential Late Jurassic age that extends the temporal and geographical range of the genus

“…The images were uploaded into the open-access computer software CombineZP (www.combinezp.software.informer.com/) to focus-stack them into fully-focused composite images. Based on a preliminary comparative study against Nelson (2006), SHGM L275 was diagnosed as an osteoglossomorph fish based on the possible presence of an epural and 15 principal branched caudal fin rays (Xu & Chang 2009). The specimen was then compared by standard methods with other Chinese Mesozoic osteoglossomorph fish from the collections of the Institute Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP; Beijing, China) and the Stephen Hui Geological Museum (SHGM (HKU), Hong Kong) (see Supplemental Table S1 in the Supplementary Information).…”

“…The specimen was then compared by standard methods with other Chinese Mesozoic osteoglossomorph fish from the collections of the Institute Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP; Beijing, China) and the Stephen Hui Geological Museum (SHGM (HKU), Hong Kong) (see Supplemental Table S1 in the Supplementary Information). The specimen's features were then coded against character lists from osteoglossomorph-specific phylogenetic analyses (Shen 1996;Zhang 2006;Li & Wilson 1996;Wilson & Murray 2008;Xu & Chang 2009). The review of the osteoglossoid osteoglossomorph Paralycoptera by Xu & Chang (2009) was particularly important towards the referral of SHGM L275 to this genus because of its details on anatomical variation.…”

“…The specimen's features were then coded against character lists from osteoglossomorph-specific phylogenetic analyses (Shen 1996;Zhang 2006;Li & Wilson 1996;Wilson & Murray 2008;Xu & Chang 2009). The review of the osteoglossoid osteoglossomorph Paralycoptera by Xu & Chang (2009) was particularly important towards the referral of SHGM L275 to this genus because of its details on anatomical variation. 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 Figure 3: Magnified image (10.5x) of the specimen SHGM L275.…”

Chanopsis lombardi (Teleostei, Osteoglossiformes) from the continental Lower Cretaceous of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Comments on the evolution of the caudal skeleton within osteoglossiform fishes

“…5C). A few fossil members of this order still possess two uroneurals, as Paralycoptera wui Chang & Chou, 1977 from the Albian of China (Xu & Chang, 2009, Fig. 9B), but many extinct and all Recent osteoglossiforms exhibit only one uroneural.…”