Ceratodontidae
Extinct family of fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ceratodontidae is an extinct family of lungfish with fossils known worldwide from the earliest Triassic to the Eocene.
| Ceratodontidae Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ceratodus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Dipnoi |
| Order: | Ceratodontiformes |
| Family: | †Ceratodontidae Gill, 1872 |
| Genera | |
|
See text | |
Taxonomy
Although the extant Queensland lungfish was formerly also classified in this family due to its similar appearance, phylogenetic and morphological evidence indicates that it belongs in a different family, Neoceratodontidae. A morphological study by Kemp et al (2017) proposed that Ceratodontidae was more closely related to modern African (Protopteridae) and South American lungfish (Leptosirenidae) than Queensland lungfish.[1] However, Brownstein, Harrington & Near (2023) found Ceratodontidae to lie outside the crown group of modern lungfish, with all modern lungfish more closely related to each other than to Ceratodontidae.[2]
Genera
The following genera are known from the family:[3]
- †Arganodus (alternatively placed in own family, Arganodontidae)
- †Ariguna
- †Asperideceratodus Aliança Formation, Brazil, Tithonian[4]
- †Ceratodus
- †Epiceratodus
- †Lupaceratodus Galula Formation, Tanzania, Cretaceous
- †Metaceratodus
- †Microceratodus(?)
- †Potamoceratodus
- †Tekoaceratodus Aliança Formation, Brazil, Tithonian[4]
- †Tellerodus
- †Retodus
Paraceratodus was also classified in this family but phylogenetic evidence supports it being the most basal member of Ceratodontoidei.[1][5]