Materpiscis
Materpiscis | |
---|---|
Artist's reconstruction of M. attenboroughi | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | †Placodermi |
Order: | †Ptyctodontida |
Family: | †Ptyctodontidae |
Genus: | †Materpiscis Long et al., 2008 |
Species: | †M. attenboroughi
|
Binomial name | |
†Materpiscis attenboroughi Long et al., 2008
|
Materpiscis (
Discovery and naming
The
The species was named Materpiscis attenboroughi in honour of David Attenborough who first drew attention to the significance of the Gogo fish sites in his 1979 series Life on Earth.[2]
Paleobiology
Materpiscis would have been about 11 inches (28 cm) long and had powerful crushing tooth plates to grind up its prey, possibly hard shelled invertebrates like clams or corals.[3]
Examination of the tail section of the holotype led to the discovery of the partially ossified skeleton of a juvenile Materpiscis and the mineralised umbilical cord. The team published their findings in 2008.
In popular culture
- Materpiscis attenboroughi was selected as one of "The Top 10 New Species" described in 2008 by The International Institute for Species Exploration at taxonomists.[6]
See also
- viviparousptyctodont placoderm from the Gogo Reef
- arthrodireplacoderm from the Gogo Reef
- Gogonasus
- Onychodus
- List of things named after David Attenborough and his works
References
- YouTube
- ^ BBC News: Fossil reveals oldest live birth
- ^ Museum Victoria links and videos describing Materpiscis Archived 2008-08-22 at the Wayback Machine
- S2CID 205213348.
- ^ Salisbury, Steven. "Oldest Embryo Fossil Found". Jeanna Bryner. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ Pea-sized Seahorse, Bacteria That Life In Hairspray, Caffeine-free Coffee Among Top 10 New Species Of 2008 Science Daily May 23, 2009