Glyptolepis, a wide-skull lobe-fin fish, enters the LRT and splits up the Porolepiformes
Glyptolepis paucidens (Agassiz 1844; Middle Devonian; 20cm; Figs. 1, 2) was a smallish rhipidistian, a lobefin fish with primitive lobes. Traditionally considered a porolepiform, after testing Glyptolepis does not nest with the porolepiform, Porolepis (Fig. 3), which nests several nodes apart in the LRT, closer to coelocanths.
Here
in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2021 taxa) Glyptolepis nests closer to the tetrapodomorph, Cabonnichthys (Fig. 4), far from Porolepis and Holoptychius (Fig. 3), despite several convergent traits. The porolepiform, Laccognathus (Fig. 5), has a flatter, wider skull similar to that of Glyptolepis by convergence. Moving Glyptolepis to Porolepis or vice versa adds 30 steps to the LRT.
Porolepis posnaniensis
(Kade 1858, named by Woodward 1891; Early Devonian) was a large, slow-moving lobefin with small eyes, related to Holoptychius, not Glyptolepis, contra academic traditions.
Ahlberg 1991
re-examined Porolepiformes at the start of the software era of cladistics. Ahlberg reported,
“A cladistic analysis based on 54 characters places the Porolepiformes as sister-group of a clade Powichthys + Youngolepis + Diabolepis + Dipnoi. The porolepiform-lungfish clade is the sister group of another clade containing tetrapods, panderichthyids, osteolepiforms and rhizodonts.”
The LRT employs more taxa.
The LRT widely separates porolepiforms from lungfish, which are the sister clade to tetrapodomorphs llike panderichthys, osteolepiforms and rhizodonts. The LRT nests Youngolepis closer to Porolepis than to lungfish (= Dipnoi). These relationships await confirmation with a similar taxon list.
This appears to be a novel hypothesis of interrelationships.
If not, please provide a citation so I can promote it here. This discovery was accomplished by simply adding taxa, letting the software decide interrelationships and not assuming that similar traits indicate relationships rather than convergence. We’ve seen this before with ‘turtle’ origins, ‘whale’ origins, pterosaur origins and more.
References
Ahlberg PE 1991. A re-examination of sarcopterygian interrelationships, with special reference to Porolepiformes. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 103(3):241–287,
Ahlberg PE and Johanson Z 1997. Second tristichopterid (Sarcopterygii, Osteolepidformes) from the Upper Devonian of Canowindra, New South Wales, Australia, and phylogeny of the Tristichopteridae. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17(4):653–673.
Cloutier R and Ahlberg PE 1996. Morphology, Characters, and the Interrelationships of Basal Sarcopterygians. In Melanie LJ Stiassny; LR Parenti and GD Johnson (eds.). Interrelationships of Fishes. p. 457.
Kade G 1858. Ueber die devonischen Fischreste cines diluvial Blockes. Meseritz. pp.17-18. Woodward AS 1891. Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History). Part II. Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History) 2.
wiki/Glyptolepis
wiki/Cabonnichthys
wiki/Porolepis
wiki/Porolepiformes
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2021/12/25/glyptolepis-a-wide-skull-lobe-fin-fish-enters-the-lrt-and-splits-up-the-porolepiformes/
Anyone can join.
Anyone can contribute.
Anyone can become informed about their world.
"United We Stand" Click Here To Create Your Personal Citizen Journalist Account Today, Be Sure To Invite Your Friends.
Please Help Support BeforeitsNews by trying our Natural Health Products below!
Order by Phone at 888-809-8385 or online at https://mitocopper.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomic.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Order by Phone at 866-388-7003 or online at https://www.herbanomics.com M - F 9am to 5pm EST
Humic & Fulvic Trace Minerals Complex - Nature's most important supplement! Vivid Dreams again!
HNEX HydroNano EXtracellular Water - Improve immune system health and reduce inflammation.
Ultimate Clinical Potency Curcumin - Natural pain relief, reduce inflammation and so much more.
MitoCopper - Bioavailable Copper destroys pathogens and gives you more energy. (See Blood Video)
Oxy Powder - Natural Colon Cleanser! Cleans out toxic buildup with oxygen!
Nascent Iodine - Promotes detoxification, mental focus and thyroid health.
Smart Meter Cover - Reduces Smart Meter radiation by 96%! (See Video).