Pygopterus Explained

Pygopterus is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Wuchiapingian to Olenekian ages (late Permian to Early Triassic epochs) in what is now England, Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt), Greenland and Svalbard (Spitsbergen).^{[1] [2]} It is one of the few genera of ray-finned fish known to cross the Permian-Triassic boundary.^[2]

Fossils have been found in the Marl Slate Formation, Kupferschiefer (Werra Formation), Ravnefjeld Formation, Vikinghøgda Formation and Buntsandstein.^[1] A report about the discovery of this fish in Westphalian deposits of Belgium was likely caused by the presence of Nematoptychius which was referred to as Pygopterus in late 19th century.^[3]

Synonyms

• Pygopterus greenockii Traquair, 1866 → Nematoptychius greenockii (Traquair, 1866)

See also

• Prehistoric fish
• List of prehistoric bony fish
• Permian-Triassic mass extinction

Notes and References

1. Aldinger . Hermann . 1937 . Permische Ganoidfische aus Ostgrönland . Meddelelser om Grønland . 102 . 3 . 1–392 . de.
2. Romano . Carlo . Koot . Martha B. . Kogan . Ilja . Brayard . Arnaud . Minikh . Alla V. . Brinkmann . Winand . Bucher . Hugo . Kriwet . Jürgen . Permian-Triassic Osteichthyes (bony fishes): diversity dynamics and body size evolution . Biological Reviews . 2016 . 91 . 1 . 106–147 . 10.1111/brv.12161 . 25431138 . 5332637.
3. C. Derycke, R. Cloutier, A.-M. Candilier. 1995. Palaeozoic vertebrates of northern France and Belgium: Part II - Chondrichthyes, Acanthodii, Actinopterygii (Uppermost Silurian to Carboniferous). Geobios. 28. 1889–1890. 347. 10.1016/S0016-6995(95)80136-7.