There's 82 now???
Oddball...You know anything about how ancient arowana are and other facts??
Well, I'm sure you do, but can you tell us people who weren't born yet when you turned 60??
Most ancient species exists?
- Thread starter Three Trees
- Start date
There's 82 now???
Oddball...You know anything about how ancient arowana are and other facts??
Well, I'm sure you do, but can you tell us people who weren't born yet when you turned 60??
I'm stumbling into this conversation a bit late but it looks interesting.
The most ancient species....hmmmmm.....depends on how you want to approach it.
Of all the 'fish-like' creatures it would definitely be the hagfish and lampreys (Agnathans) - ancestors of the original 'jawless' fish. These critters aren't even 'advanced' enough to have true jaws nor do they possess paired fins like all of the other fishes. Their history streches back to the Early Cambrian which would bring them in at about 540 million years ago.
The coelacanth (Latimeria) is truly considered a 'living fossil' and comes from an ancient lineage (the Sarcopterygii or 'lobe-finned' fish) that was thought to be completely extinct until the first living Latimeria was caught and reported in 1938. The coelacanth lineage stretches back to the Middle Devonian (about 390 million years ago).
The lungfish are also classified by many authorities as being 'lobe-finned' fish (Sarcopterygii). Their record stretches back to at least the Devonian (about 417 - 354 million years ago) as evidenced by fossils of Diabolichthyes from strata in China.
Of the 'ray-finned' fishes (Actinopterygii), the bichirs (Polypterus) are probably the most primitive. Their lineage harkens back to the days before the breakup of the supercontinent 'Gondwanaland' which puts them to at least the Early Cretaceous (about 118 million years ago). However, there is some thought among evolutionary biologist that this lineage may trace back to the Late Devonian (though there is no hard fossil evidence to support this).
So.....if you're asking which is the most ancient species of 'ray-finned fish' then the Polypterids would likely be your answer. If you're asking which is the most primitive of ALL the fish-like creatures then you should look at the Agnathans (hagfish and lampreys).
-Joe
The most ancient species....hmmmmm.....depends on how you want to approach it.
Of all the 'fish-like' creatures it would definitely be the hagfish and lampreys (Agnathans) - ancestors of the original 'jawless' fish. These critters aren't even 'advanced' enough to have true jaws nor do they possess paired fins like all of the other fishes. Their history streches back to the Early Cambrian which would bring them in at about 540 million years ago.
The coelacanth (Latimeria) is truly considered a 'living fossil' and comes from an ancient lineage (the Sarcopterygii or 'lobe-finned' fish) that was thought to be completely extinct until the first living Latimeria was caught and reported in 1938. The coelacanth lineage stretches back to the Middle Devonian (about 390 million years ago).
The lungfish are also classified by many authorities as being 'lobe-finned' fish (Sarcopterygii). Their record stretches back to at least the Devonian (about 417 - 354 million years ago) as evidenced by fossils of Diabolichthyes from strata in China.
Of the 'ray-finned' fishes (Actinopterygii), the bichirs (Polypterus) are probably the most primitive. Their lineage harkens back to the days before the breakup of the supercontinent 'Gondwanaland' which puts them to at least the Early Cretaceous (about 118 million years ago). However, there is some thought among evolutionary biologist that this lineage may trace back to the Late Devonian (though there is no hard fossil evidence to support this).
So.....if you're asking which is the most ancient species of 'ray-finned fish' then the Polypterids would likely be your answer. If you're asking which is the most primitive of ALL the fish-like creatures then you should look at the Agnathans (hagfish and lampreys).
-Joe
For that hit on my age, I should just leave you hangin. I've never studied the full lineage of aros but, I have an extinct relative from the Santana Formation of Ceara, Brazil. It's from the Cretaceous and dates back 125,000,000 years. The pic is on my other PC. I'll post it when I get home.
