First identification of the genus Argyrosomus (Teleostei, Sciaenidae) in Neogene African outcrops

Geodiversitas

Thodoris Argyriou¹  Olga Otero¹  Philippe Béarez¹ 

关键词: Sciaenidae;    Argyrosomus;    fossil bones;    Miocene;    Africa;    freshwater;    Sciaenidae;    Argyrosomus;    Os fossiles;    Miocène;    Afrique;    eau douce;   

DOI  :  10.5252/g2013n1a4

学科分类：生物科学（综合）

来源: Museum National d Histoire Naturelle

【 摘 要 】

DisarticulatedfossilremainsofasameindeterminateperciformhavebeendescribedinNeogenedepositsfromAfrica,inLibya(UpperMioceneofSahabi)andinNamibia(MiddleMioceneofArrisdrift),andthenfromGermany(LowerMioceneofLangenau).Foundinassociationwithstrictlyordominantlyfreshwaterfaunas,theyweresupposedtobefreshwaterfish.However,theirdistributionwasratherdifficulttointerpretandtheircomparisonwithfreshwaterichthyotaxadidnotpermittoattributethemneithertoaknowngenusevennortoaknownfamily.Bycomparisonwithmarineperciforms,thereviewoftheAfricanfossilsallowedustoattributethemtothegenusArgyrosomus(Teleostei,Sciaenidae)or“Meagre”.Onlynewfossilmaterialandanacutestudyoftheosteologyofextantspeciesmightallowspecificattributionofthisbonymaterial.TheseAfricanfossilsandthosefromLangenauconstitutethewholebonyfossilrecordofthegenusArgyrosomusDeLaPylaie,1835thatisalsoknownbyotolithsfromEuropeanMiocenedeposits(MediterraneanandParatethyanseas).Thesemarinefish,todaypresentalongEuropeanandAfrican(andalsoAsianandWestPacific)coasts,havecertainmembersthatfrequentlyenterestuariesandcoastalfreshwaterstreams.So,ouridentificationofdisarticulatedbonyremainscompletesthefossilrecordofArgyrosomus.ItallowsustodatetheirpresencealongtheAfricanWestcoastsinceatleasttheMiddleMioceneanditindicatesthattheiraffinitywithfreshwaterexistedyetintheLowerMiocene.

【 授权许可】

Unknown