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Lavocatodus

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Extinct genus of fishes

Lavocatodus
Temporal range: Maastrichtian–Ypresian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Sarcopterygii
Class: Dipnoi
Order: Ceratodontiformes
Family: †Lavocatodidae
Genus: †Lavocatodus
Martin, 1995
Type species
†Lavocatodus giganteus
Martin, 1995
Species
  • †L. giganteus
    Martin, 1995
  • †L.? humei
    (Martin, 1984)
  • †L.? protopteroides
    (Martin, 1984)

Lavocatodus is an extinct genus of freshwater lungfish from northern Africa. Its remains are found in geological formations dating from the Late Cretaceous to the Eocene. Some researchers included Lavocatodus within the family Lepidosirenidae, but Longrich (2017) recovered both Lavocatodus and Xenoceratodus within a separate family Lavocatodidae.

The type species L. giganteus lived in Mali between the Maastrichtian age of the Late Cretaceous and the Ypresian age of the Eocene. Fossils of L. giganteus are known from the Maastrichtian-aged Ménaka Formation, the Paleocene (Selandian to Thanetian) Teberemt Formation, and the Ypresian-aged Tamaguélelt Formation. These are all marine formations originating from the Trans-Saharan Seaway, but remains of the freshwater Lavocatodus are thought to have been regularly deposited into them by a series of rivers. L. giganteus is notable for apparently having survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, as its remains are known from both sides of the K-Pg boundary.

In addition to L. giganteus, two other possible species, L.? humei and L.? protopteroides, are known from the Campanian Quseir Formation in Egypt, but their taxonomic position within the genus is uncertain.

References

  1. ^ Longrich, Nicholas R. (2017). "A Stem Lepidosireniform Lungfish (Sarcopterygia: Dipnoi) from the Upper Eocene of Libya, North Africa and implications for Cenozoic lungfish evolution". Gondwana Research. 42: 140–150. Bibcode:2017GondR..42..140L. doi:10.1016/j.gr.2016.09.007.
  2. ^ Claeson, Kerin M; Sallam, Hesham M; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Sertich, Joseph J. W. (2014). "A revision of the Upper Cretaceous lepidosirenid lungfishes from the Quseir Formation, Western Desert, central Egypt". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (4): 760–766. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..760C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.838574. S2CID 17120150.
  3. ^ O'Leary, Maureen A.; Bouaré, Mohamed L.; Claeson, Kerin M.; Heilbronn, Kelly; Hill, Robert V.; McCartney, Jacob A.; Sessa, Jocelyn A.; Sissoko, Famory; Tapanila, Leif; Wheeler, E. A.; Roberts, Eric (Eric M. ) (2019-06-28). "Stratigraphy and paleobiology of the Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleogene sediments from the Trans-Saharan Seaway in Mali". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 2019 (436)): 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0090.436.1.1. hdl:2246/6950. S2CID 198398386.
Taxon identifiers
Lavocatodus
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