Guizhouamia bellula Liu et al., 2002

Taxonomy

Bowfin?

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata Haeckel 1874
Class: Actinopteri Cope 1871
Order: Amiiformes Hay 1929
Family: Amiidae Bonaparte , 1938
Genus: Guizhouamia
Species: Guizhouamia bellula
Author Citation Liu et al., 2002

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Mesozoic
Period: Triassic
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Middle
International Age: Ladinian (late)

Stratigraphy

Zhuganpo Formation

Provenance

Acquired by: Purchase/Trade

Dimensions

Length: 10 cm

Location

Honghe County
Yunnan Province
China

• falang
• Guizhouamia
• triassic
• Xingyi biota
• yunnan
• Zhuganpo

Comments

Taxonomy from Liu et al., 2002.

Liu et al. 2002 consider Guizhouamia to be the oldest Amiidae known to date. However, Tintori and Lombardo 2005 cast doubt on the assignment to the Amiidae.

Diagnosis from Liu et al. 2002, p. 463: "Fishes of small size. Body slenderly fusiform, Notochord present . Vertebrae fewer in number . Centra incompletely ossified. Neural arches and spines , haemal arches and spines , parapophysis of abdominal vertebrae , and ribs completely ossified. Supraneural plate-like and fewer in number . Incipiently diplospondylous vertebrae developed in preural caudal region. Operculum larger than suboperculum , and higher than broad. Preoperculum narrow and high , vertical. Paired fins small, with fewer rays. Dorsal and anal fins of typical Amiid-type in shape and structure. Tail hemihetercercal. Rays simply bifurcated."

References:

Liu et al. (2002) ON THE MOST PRIMITIVE AMIID FISH FROM UPPER TRIASSIC OF XINGYI, GUIZHOU. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 41 (3) :461 - 463.

Liu G. B., Yin G. Z., Wang X. H., Luo Y. M., and Wang S. Y.  (2003) NEW DISCOVERED FISHES FROM KEICHOUSAURUS BEARING HORIZON OF LATE TRIASSIC IN XINGYI OF GUIZHOU. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica , 42 (3) :346 - 366

Tintori, A. and Lombardo, C.R.S. (2005) Tethyan Triassic Fishes from Europe to China. Intervento presentato al 65. convegno SVP Annual meeting tenutosi a Phoenix (AZ-USA) nel 2005-10.