2019 in paleoichthyology

New taxa

Jawless vertebrates

Placoderms

Acanthodians

Cartilaginous fishes

Ray-finned fishes

Lobe-finned fishes

Other fishes

General research

• Revision of Early Devonian psammosteids described by Beverly Halstead from the so-called "Placoderm Sandstone" is published by Dec.
• A study on the locomotion of psammosteids, focusing on the influence of the shape of the psammosteid body form on hydrodynamic performance, is published by Dec.
• A study on the anatomy of dermal plates of Astraspis is published by Lemierre & Germain, who report possible evidence of presence of proliferative cartilage in this taxon.
• A study on the anatomy of the circulatory system of the head of Shuyu is published by Gai, Zhu & Donoghue.
• Redescription of Sinogaleaspis shankouensis, based on data from 11 new specimens from the Silurian Xikeng Formation, is published online by Gai et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the dermal skeleton of Tremataspis mammillata is published by O'Shea, Keating & Donoghue.
• Redescription of Asterolepis orcadensis based on newly collected fossil material is published by Newman, den Blaauwen & Leather.
• A study on the morphology of the jaw elements of a buchanosteoid placoderm specimen ANU V244 from the Early Devonian limestones at Burrinjuck, near Canberra is published by Hu et al..
• A specimen of Dunkleosteus terrelli preserving vertebrae fused into a structure known as the synarcual is described from the Devonian Cleveland Shale Member of the Ohio Shale Formation by Johanson et al..
• A redescription and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of a putative antiarch Silurolepis platydorsalis is published by Zhu, Lu & Zhu, who reinterpret this species as a maxillate placoderm close to Qilinyu.
• New body fossils of Cheiracanthus intricatus, including the first known articulated specimen of this species, are described from the Givetian Tordalen Formation by Newman, Burrow & den Blaauwen.
• A study on the anatomy of the skeletal elements of the pharynx of Ptomacanthus anglicus, and on its implications for the knowledge of the evolution of the pharynx of jawed vertebrates, is published by Dearden, Stockey & Brazeau.
• Description of fossils of Carboniferous cartilaginous fishes from the area of Krzeszowice is published by Ginter & Złotnik.
• New description of Edestus, providing new information on the anatomy of this taxon, will be published by Tapanila et al..
• A study on microwear on teeth of Edestus minor, and on its implications for the knowledge of function of teeth of this fish, is published by Itano.
• A revision of species belonging to the genus Edestus is published by Tapanila & Pruitt.
• Discovery of a cast of the holotype of Petalodus ohioensis in the collections of the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History is reported by Carpenter & Itano, who consider the species Petalodus alleghaniensis to be a junior synonym of P. ohioensis.
• Restudy of a putative bill of an ibis-like bird from the Eocene La Meseta Formation described by Jadwiszczak, Gaździcki & Tatur is published by Agnolin, Bogan & Rozadilla, who consider this specimen to be more likely to be a dorsal spine of a chimaeroid cartilaginous fish.
• A study on the anatomy of the skull of Tristychius arcuatus, providing evidence of adaptations for suction feeding, is published by Coates et al..
• Description of the first skeletal remains of Phoebodus from the Famennian of the Maïder region of Morocco, providing new information on the anatomy of this species, and a study on the phylogenetic affinities of Phoebodus is published by Frey et al..
• Teeth of a hybodont shark belonging to the genus Asteracanthus, with anatomy indicative of a crushing feeding behaviour, are described from the Upper Jurassic deposits of the Monte Nerone Pelagic Carbonate Platform, in the Umbria‐Marche‐Sabina Palaeogeographic Domain by Citton et al..
• An association of 58 teeth of Ptychodus anonymus, representing the first occurrence of an associated dentition of this species, is described from the Cenomanian Jetmore Member of the Greenhorn Formation by Hamm.
• Description of new associated skeletal remains of Ischyrhiza mira from the Upper Cretaceous of Tennessee and Alabama and a study on the paleobiology of this species is published by Sternes & Shimada.
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Promyliobatis gazolai is published by Marramà et al..
• Fossils of members of the genus Aetomylaeus are described from localities in Peru and Chile by Villafaña et al., representing the first unambiguous fossil record of this genus from the Neogene of the southeastern Pacific.
• A specimen of the whiptail stingray species Tethytrygon muricatus preserving the uterus bearing four eggs is described from the Eocene of the Monte Bolca locality by Fanti, Mazzuferi & Marramà.
• Description of Langhian ray fossils from the Lower Tagus Basin is published by Fialho, Balbino & Antues.
• A study on the taxonomic status and geological age of large shark remains from the Upper Cretaceous of the Castellavazzo locality discovered in the 19th century is published by Conte et al..
• 15 partial skeletons of lamniform sharks, including the largest specimen of Cretoxyrhina mantelli known to date, are described from the Upper Cretaceous Scaglia Rossa Formation by Amalfitano et al., who also review the taxonomic history of C. mantelli.
• A study on teeth histology and mineralization pattern in lamniform sharks, based on data from extant and fossil taxa, is published by Jambura et al..
• A study on changes of diversity of lamniform sharks throughout their evolutionary history, aiming to determine the causes of their decline in the last 20 million years, is published by Condamine, Romieu & Guinot.
• A study on changes in the presence or absence of lateral cusplets on teeth of members of the genus Carcharocles from the Calvert, Choptank, and St. Marys formations, and on their implications for the transition of shark populations from these formations from a Carcharocles chubutensis-dominated population to one dominated by C. megalodon, is published by Perez et al..
• A revision and a reevaluation of the reliability of all post-Messinian occurrences of Otodus megalodon in marine strata from western North America, and a study on the timing of extinction of this species, is published by Boessenecker et al..
• A study on the body size of Otodus megalodon, as inferred from the relationship between the ontogenetic development of teeth and total body length in the great white shark, will be published by Shimada.
• Partial forelimb of a rorqual with several shark bite marks is described from the Pliocene Burica Formation by Cortés et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the holotype specimen of a putative Paleocene shark Platyacrodus unicus is published by Bogan, Agnolin & Ezcurra, who reinterpret this specimen as a carapace of a small retroplumid crab belonging to the genus Costacopluma.
• An assemblage of well-preserved isolated teeth of elasmobranchs is described from the late Oligocene of the North Alpine Foreland Basin by Feichtinger et al..
• Description of the deep-sea elasmobranch fauna from the Miocene Yatsuo Group in central Japan, including the first fossil occurrences of the genera Arhynchobatis and Pseudoraja, will be published by Nishimatsu & Ujihara.
• Description of the deep-sea elasmobranch fossils from the Miocene Makino Formation in southwest Japan, including the first fossil occurrences of the genera Springeria and Narke, is published by Nishimatsu.
• A study on Paleocene cartilaginous fish fossils from the Lower Clayton Limestone Unit of the Midway Group near Malvern, Arkansas, evaluating the implications of these fossils for the knowledge of cartilaginous fish diversity across the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary in the Malvern region and Gulf Coastal Plain of southwestern Arkansas, will be published by Maisch, Becker & Griffiths.
• A study on the morphology of scales and squamation pattern in Guiyu oneiros is published by Cui, Qiao & Zhu.
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Brazilichthys macrognathus is published by Figueroa, Friedman & Gallo.
• Permian species Palaeothrissum inaequilobum Blainville and P. parvum Blainville are found to be senior synonyms of the widely used species name Aeduella blainvillei by Brignon. Conditions exist for reversal of precedence and Aeduella blainvillei is declared nomen protectum.
• A study on the anatomy of the jaws, palate and teeth of Eurynotus crenatus is published by Friedman et al..
• New specimen of Birgeria liui, representing the most complete and articulated postcranial skeleton of an adult specimen of Birgeria reported so far, is described from the Ladinian of South China by Ni et al..
• Fossil remains of a spiral valve are reported in a specimen of Peipiaosteus pani from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation by Capasso.
• Teeth of members of the genus Pycnodus are described from the Upper Cretaceous Cap de Naze marine formation by Capasso.
• Description of a partial skeleton of Micropycnodon kansasensis from the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Chalk, providing new information on the anatomy of this species, is published by Cronin & Shimada.
• A study on the paleobiology of specimens of Nursallia gutturosum from the Cenomanian-Turonian platy limestone deposit of Vallecillo is published by Stinnesbeck, Rust & Herder.
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Robustichthys luopingensis is published by Xu.
• Fossil teeth representing the first evidence of Late Jurassic ginglymodians from Mt. Nerone in the Umbria-Marche-Sabina Domain are described by Romano et al..
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of "Lepidotes" bernissartensis is published online by Cavin, Deesri & Olive, who transfer this species to the genus Scheenstia.
• A study on the internal anatomy of a left jaw of a member of the genus Scheenstia from the Kimmeridgian Reuchenette Formation will be published by Leuzinger et al., who describe a peculiar tooth replacement mode in this specimen.
• A study on the stomach contents of two specimens of Lepidotes from the Lower Jurassic of Germany will be published by Thies, Stevens & Stumpf.
• Six new occurrences of Belonostomus, documenting the biogeographic and biostratigraphic range of this genus in North America, are reported from the Upper Cretaceous of Texas, Alabama and Mississippi by Van Vranken, Fielitz & Ebersole.
• A study on the diversity of pectoral fin shape amongst members of Pachycormiformes is published by Liston et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the skull of Martillichthys renwickae will be published by Dobson et al..
• Fossil remains of a member or a relative of the genus Asthenocormus are described from the Upper Jurassic of the Ameghino Formation of the Antarctic Peninsula by Gouiric-Cavalli et al., representing the first record of a suspension-feeding pachycormid from the Upper Jurassic of the Antarctic Peninsula and the oldest pachycormid yet recovered from Antarctica.
• New, three-dimensionally preserved specimens of Pachycormus are described from the Toarcian of Strawberry Bank at Ilminster by Cawley et al..
• A study on the anatomy of Pleuropholis decastroi from the Lower Cretaceous limestones of Pietraroja and on the phylogenetic relationships of the family Pleuropholidae is published by Taverne & Capasso.
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of the teleost species Majokia brasseuri from the Middle Jurassic Stanleyville Formation is published by Taverne, who names a new order Majokiiformes.
• A study on the anatomy, jaw mechanics and phylogenetic relationships of Dugaldia emmilta is published by Cavin & Berrell.
• A juvenile specimen of Xiphactinus audax, representing the smallest specimen of this species reported so far, will be described from the Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk by King & Super.
• A study on the internal structure of a fossil specimen of Notelops brama, investigated by neutron tomography, is published by Pugliesi et al..
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Cavenderichthys talbragarensis and Waldmanichthys koonwarri is published online by Bean & Arratia.
• A study on fossils of members of the genus Capoeta from the Pliocene locality Çevirme and on the evolutionary history of this genus is published by Ayvazyan, Vasilyan & Böhme.
• Evidence of presence of managed aquaculture of the common carp by around 6000 BC is reported from the Early Neolithic Jiahu site by Nakajima et al..
• A study on the morphology of fossil catfish spines from the Upper Cretaceous Adamantina and Marilia formations is published by Alves, Bergqvist & Brito.
• A study on positions, heading directions and possible behavioural rules used in a group of fossil specimens of Erismatopterus levatus from the Eocene Green River Formation is published by Mizumoto, Miyata & Pratt.
• Description of gadiform fossils from the Eocene sediments of the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions, including fossils of members of the family Merlucciidae, is published by Marramà et al..
• Description of an incomplete percomorph specimen from the Miocene Ixtapa Formation, representing the oldest primary freshwater percomorph fish from Mexico reported so far, is published by Cantalice & Alvarado-Ortega.
• A study on the evolutionary history of the fish clade Pelagiaria is published by Friedman et al..
• A revision of the nomenclature of extant and fossil barracudas is published by Ballen.
• A review of the published fossil record of the family Labridae is published by Bellwood et al..
• A study on the feeding habits of the percomorph fish Rhenanoperca minuta and other fishes from the Eocene Messel pit is published by Micklich, Baranov & Wappler.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of "psarolepid" bony fishes, evaluating which characters cause their different placements in analyses utilizing different methods for reconstructing the tree of life, is published by King.
• A study on the ontogeny of the neurocranium and brain in the West Indian Ocean coelacanth, and on its implications for the knowledge of the evolution of the head of lobe-finned fishes, is published by Dutel et al..
• Redescription of Axelrodichthys araripensis and a comparative study of several other members of Mawsoniidae is published by Fragoso, Brito & Yabumoto, who transfer the species Mawsonia lavocati to the genus Axelrodichthys.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of mawsoniid coelacanths is published by Cavin et al..
• A study on the skull anatomy of Arquatichthys porosus, focusing on a newly-discovered postparietal shield, is published by Lu & Zhu.
• Description of the posterior part of the skull of Tungsenia paradoxa is published by Lu et al..
• New fossil material of "Holoptychius" radiatus Newberry from the Devonian Catskill Formation, providing new information on the anatomy of this species, is described by Daeschler, Downs & Matzko, who transfer this species to the tristichopterid genus Langlieria.
• A study on the bone histology of the humerus of Hyneria lindae is published by Kamska et al..
• Description of new fossil material of Edenopteron from the Devonian Worange Point Formation and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this taxon will be published by Young et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the shoulder girdle and opercular series of Gogonasus andrewsae is published by Hu, Young & Lu.
• A historical review of the fossil record of Devonian tetrapods and basal tetrapodomorphs from East Gondwana is published by Long, Clement & Choo, who also present preliminary findings on the anatomy of the canowindrid Koharalepis jarviki based on synchrotron scan data.
• A study on the anatomy of fossil coelacanth lungs, on accessory air-breathing structures in fossil fishes and stem-tetrapods, and on the evolution of air breathing is published by Cupello, Clément & Brito.
• A study on patterns of tooth replacement in Onychodus jandemarrai, Eusthenopteron foordi, Tiktaalik roseae and in extant West Indian Ocean coelacanth is published by Doeland et al..
• A study on changes of the skeletal anatomy of the pelvic and pectoral appendages during the transition from fins to limbs in vertebrate evolution, as indicated by data from fossil lobe-finned fishes and early tetrapods, is published by Esteve-Altava et al..
• A study on the anatomy of dermal rays in pectoral fins of Sauripterus taylori, Eusthenopteron foordi and Tiktaalik roseae, evaluating its implications for the knowledge of the evolution of dermal rays in early members of Tetrapodomorpha prior to the origin of digits, will be published by Stewart et al..
• A study on the evolution of the branchiostegal ray series in the skull of bony fishes, as indicated by data from extant and fossil taxa, is published by Ascarrunz et al..
• A study on the origin and evolution of acellular bone in fossil and extant actinopterygian fishes is published by Davesne et al..
• A diverse fish assemblage is reported from the Carboniferous Horquilla Formation by Ivanov & Lucas.
• A study on the diversity and ecology of Triassic fish assemblages from the Villány Hills is published by Szabó, Botfalvai & Osi.
• Cretaceous fish fossils with strong affinities with Early Cretaceous faunas of Thailand are described from Pahang by Teng et al..
• Description of a freshwater fish assemblage from the Cretaceous Açu Formation is published by Veiga, Bergqvist & Brito.
• Description of Eocene fish fauna from the Luna de Sus locality is published by Trif, Codrea & Arghiuș.
• A study on the Pliocene fish fossils from the Kanapoi site and their implications for reconstructing lake and river environments in the Kanapoi Formation is published by Stewart & Rufolo.
• A study on the composition of the otolith assemblage from the Santa Barbara Basin near the coast of California over the preceding two millennia is published by Jones & Checkley.
• A study on the evolution of the herbivorous coral reef fishes, as indicated by data from extant and fossil species, is published by Siqueira, Bellwood & Cowman.