Apateodus (meaning "confusing tooth") is a genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish which was described by Woodward in 1901. It was a relative of modern lizardfish and lancetfish in the order Aulopiformes, and one of a number of prominent nektonic aulopiforms of Cretaceous marine ecosystems.[1][2]
| Apateodus Temporal range:
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| Lower jaw fragment of A. corneti | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Aulopiformes |
| Family: | †Ichthyotringidae |
| Genus: | †Apateodus Woodward, 1901 |
| Species | |
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See text | |
The genus spans from the Albian to the late Maastrichtian, and appears to have been distributed worldwide; specimens have been found in Russia, India, the United States (Colorado, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas), Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.[1]
Taxonomy edit
Apateodus has generally been placed in the suborder Enchodontoidei alongside most other Cretaceous nektonic aulopiforms, although its affinities have long been uncertain. However, since the 2000s, it has generally been placed in the family Ichthyotringidae.[3][4] However, some authors have still placed it as an indeterminate enchodontoid, ichthyotringoid, alepisauroid, or even elsewhere in the Aulopiformes as the sister to the barracudinas, the latter two of which have been contradicted by anatomical studies.[3][5][6][7]
The following species are known:[1][2]
- †?A. assisi Schwarzans, Huddlestone & Takeuchi, 2018 - Santonian of Alabama, USA[8]
- †A. busseni Franz & Shimada, 2009 - Coniacian of Kansas, USA
- †A. corneti (Forir, 1887) - Maastrichtian of the Netherlands
- †A. crenellatus Schwarzans & Stringer, 2020 - Maastrichtian of Mississippi, USA[9]
- †A. glyphodus (Blake, 1863) - Albian of the United Kingdom
- †A. lanceolatus Woodward, 1901 - Cenomanian of the United Kingdom
- †A. striatus Woodward, 1901 - Cenomanian of the United Kingdom, Maastrichtian of India
Indeterminate remains are known from Canada (Alberta), Russia (Belgorod), and the United States (Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, and South Dakota).[1] A potential undescribed genus closely allied to Apateodus was identified in 2020 from fossils from Kansas.[10]
Description edit
Known by well preserved skull remains, Apateodus is estimated to be around 1 meter (3.3ft) in length, and would have been an effective mesopredator.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "PBDB". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ a b c Newbrey, Michael G.; Konishi, Takuya (2015-05-04). "A new lizardfish (Teleostei, Aulopiformes) from the Late Cretaceous Bearpaw Formation of Alberta, Canada, with a revised diagnosis of Apateodus (Aulopiformes, Ichthyotringoidei)". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35 (3): e918042. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.918042. ISSN 0272-4634.
- ^ a b Silva, Hilda M. A.; Gallo, Valéria (June 2011). "Taxonomic review and phylogenetic analysis of Enchodontoidei (Teleostei: Aulopiformes)". Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 83: 483–511. doi:10.1590/S0001-37652011000200010. ISSN 0001-3765.
- ^ Fielitz, Christopher; Shimada, Kenshu (2009-09-12). "A new species of Apateodus (Teleostei: Aulopiformes) from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Western Kansas, U.S.A." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (3): 650–658. doi:10.1671/039.029.0308. ISSN 0272-4634.
- ^ Near, Thomas J; Thacker, Christine E (18 April 2024). "Phylogenetic classification of living and fossil ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 65. doi:10.3374/014.065.0101.
- ^ Chida, Mori (Fall 2022). "A new species of dercetid and the assessment of the phylogeny of the Enchodontoidei (Teleostei: Aulopiformes)". ERA. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ Schwarzhans, Werner; Beckett, Hermione T.; Schein, Jason D.; Friedman, Matt (2018). Rahman, Imran (ed.). "Computed tomography scanning as a tool for linking the skeletal and otolith‐based fossil records of teleost fishes". Palaeontology. 61 (4): 511–541. doi:10.1111/pala.12349. hdl:2027.42/144669. ISSN 0031-0239.
- ^ SCHWARZHANS, WERNER W.; HUDDLESTON, RICHARD W.; TAKEUCHI, GARY T. (2018-01-22). "A LATE SANTONIAN FISH-FAUNA FROM THE EUTAW FORMATION OF ALABAMA RECONSTRUCTED FROM OTOLITHS". Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research In Paleontology and Stratigraphy). V. 124: N. 1 (2018). doi:10.13130/2039-4942/9624.
- ^ Stringer, Gary L.; Schwarzhans, Werner; Phillips, George; Lambert, Roger (2020-02-05). "HIGHLY DIVERSIFIED LATE CRETACEOUS FISH ASSEMBLAGE REVEALED BY OTOLITHS (RIPLEY FORMATION AND OWL CREEK FORMATION, NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI, USA)". RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA. 126 (1). doi:10.13130/2039-4942/13013. ISSN 2039-4942.
- ^ Fielitz, Christopher; Shimada, Kenshu (2020). "A Possible Undescribed Aulopiform Fish Allied to the Genus Apateodus from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk of Kansas, U.S.A." Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science. 123 (3–4): 435–440. doi:10.1660/062.123.0313. ISSN 0022-8443.
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