Watsonulus is an extinct genus of prehistoric ray-finned fish that lived during the Early Triassic epoch in what is now Madagascar.[2][1] It may have also existed in what is now Himachal Pradesh, India, during the Induan age (Early Triassic).[3] The type species, described by Jean Piveteau, is Watsonia eugnathoides. Because "Watsonia" was preoccupied, the new genus name Watsonulus was later erected. The genus is named after David Meredith Seares Watson.
| Watsonulus Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Watsonulus eugnathoides type | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | †Parasemionotiformes |
| Family: | †Parasemionotidae |
| Genus: | †Watsonulus Brough, 1939 |
| Species: | †W. eugnathoides
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| Binomial name | |
| †Watsonulus eugnathoides (Piveteau, 1934)
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| Synonyms | |
Classification edit
Watsonulus belongs to Parasemionotidae, a family of early neopterygians closely related with halecomorphs. Other members of Parasemionotidae include Albertonia, Candelarialepis, Icarealcyon, Jacobulus, Lehmanotus, Parasemionotus, Qingshania, Stensioenotus, Suius, and Thomasinotus.
Similar to Albertonia (Early Triassic of Canada) and Icarealcyon, the pectoral fins of Watsonulus were fairly large.[3]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Retrieved 2009-02-27.
- ^ Olsen, P.E. (1984). "The skull and pectoral girdle of the parasemionotid fish Watsonulus eugnathoides from the Early Triassic Sakamena Group of Madagascar, with comments on the relationships of the holostean fishes". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 4 (3): 481–499. Bibcode:1984JVPal...4..481O. doi:10.1080/02724634.1984.10012024.
- ^ a b Romano, Carlo; Ware, David; Brühwiler, Thomas; Bucher, Hugo; Brinkmann, Winand (2016). "Marine Early Triassic Osteichthyes from Spiti, Indian Himalayas". Swiss Journal of Palaeontology. 135 (2): 275–294. doi:10.1007/s13358-015-0098-6. S2CID 129013905.
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