Protopsephurus liui Lu, 1994

Taxonomy

Paddlefish

Kingdom: ANIMALIA
Phylum: CHORDATA
Class: ACTINOPTERI COPE 1871
Order: ACIPENSERIFORMES Berg, 1940
Family: POLYODONTIDAE Bonaparte, 1838
Genus: Protopsephurus
Species: Protopsephurus liui
Author Citation Lu, 1994

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Cretaceous
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Early
International Age: Barremian - Aptian (early)

Stratigraphy

Jehol Group
Yixian Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 28 cm

Location

Songzhangzi
Lingyuan County
Liaoning
China

• china
• cretaceous
• liaoning
• paddlefish
• protopsephurus
• tff-oilshale-ch172
• yixian formation

Comments

Taxonomy from Grande et al. 2002.

The order of Acipenseriformes (Sturgeon-like fishes) both includes sturgeons (Acipenseridae) and paddlefish (Polyodontidae).

At least three Sturgeon-like fishes (Acipenseriformes) can be found in the Jiufotang Formation (Jehol Group) and in the Yixian Formation in western Liaoning and northern Hebei Province China: Peipiaosteus pani Liu and Zhou 1965, Protopsephurus liui Lu, 1994 and Yanosteus longidorsalis Jin, Tian, Yang & Deng, 1995. The Jiufotang Formation - where Peipiaosteus comes from - is dated to about 120.3+/-0.7 million years ago, which was during the Aptian age of the Cretaceous; the Yixian Formation - where this Protopsephurus liui and Y. longidorsalis can be found - is dated slightly older, around 125-121 million years ago (Barremian-early Aptian).
 

Protopsephurus liui Lu 1994 is both the oldest and the most primitive paddlefish (Polyodontidae) known. Paddlefishes remain one of the strongest indicators of historical biogeographic connection between East Asia and North America. Fossil and living members of this family date from the Early Cretaceous and Recent in China, and from the Late Cretaceous, Early Paleocene, Early Eocene and Recent in North America. The total length of Protopsephurus normally is in the range of 20 to 30cm, but can exceed 1m.

Line drawing from Grande et al 2002, p. 218:

References:

Lu, L. (1994): A new paddlefish from the Upper Jurassic of Northeast China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica, 1994, Vol. 32, Teil 2, pp134-142 
Liu, H., Zhou J. (1965): A new Sturgeon from the Upper Jurassic of Liaoning, North China. Vertebrata PalAsiatica Vol. 9, No. 3, 1965, p. 237 ff.
Zhou, Z.(1992): Review on Peipiaosteus based on new materials of P. pani. Vertebrata PalAsiatica Vol 30, No. 2, pp 85-101.
Grande, L.,  Jin, F., Yabumoto, Y. & Bemis, W. E. (2002) Protopsephurus liui, a well-preserved primitive paddlefish (Acipenseriformes: Polyodontidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of China, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 22:2, 209-237, DOI: 10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0209:PLAWPP]2.0.CO;2