Knightia
Knightia Temporal range:
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Knightia eocaena specimen | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Clupeiformes |
Family: | Clupeidae |
Subfamily: | Pellonulinae |
Genus: | †Knightia Jordan 1907 |
Type species | |
Knightia eocaena Jordan, 1907
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Species | |
Synonyms | |
Knightia is an
Knightia belongs to the same taxonomic family as herring and sardines, and resembled the former closely enough that both Knightia alta and Knightia eocaena were originally described as species of true herring in the genus Clupea.
As with modern-day clupeids, Knightia spp. likely fed on algae and diatoms, as well as insects and occasionally smaller fish.[4] In a 2022 paper, researchers announced they had detected biological residues in Knightia fossils from the Green River Formation.[5]
Anatomy
In Knightia fish, rows of
Predators
A small schooling fish, Knightia made an abundant food source for larger Eocene predators. The Green River Formation has yielded many fossils of larger fish species preying on Knightia; specimens of Diplomystus, Lepisosteus, Amphiplaga, Mioplosus, Phareodus, Amia, and Astephus have all been found with Knightia in either their jaws or stomachs.[4]
Gallery
References
- ^ Jordan, D. S. 1907. "The fossil fishes of California; with supplementary notes on other species of extinct fishes". Bulletin Department of Geology, University of California 5:136
- ^ "Wyoming Secretary of State". Archived from the original on 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2011-01-22.
- ISBN 0-306-47489-1.
- ^ a b Grande, L. 1980. The paleontology of the Green River Formation, with a review of the fish fauna. Wyoming Geol. Surv., Bull. 63, pp. 85.
- PMC 9205911.
- ^ OCLC 47720325. Archived from the original(PDF) on October 20, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2011.