Qilinyu
Qilinyu rostrata is a "maxillate" placoderm from the late Ludlow epoch of Qujing, Yunnan, 419 million years ago.[1]
| Qilinyu Temporal range: Late Ludlow | |
|---|---|
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| Artist's restoration | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Placodermi |
| Order: | †incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Qilinyu Zhu et al., 2016 |
| Species: | †Q. rostrata |
| Binomial name | |
| †Qilinyu rostrata Zhu et al., 2016 | |
Specimens and taxonomy
The holotype and paratype of Q. rostrata are two exquisitely preserved specimens both featuring a domed cranium and a curved rostrum presenting a "dolphin-like profile."[1]
The researchers' cladistic diagram shows Q. rostrata as the sister taxon of Entelognathus, Janusiscus and the crown gnathostomes (i.e., bony and cartilaginous fishes and their descendants).[1]
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Evolutionary significance
Qilinyu rostrata, together with Entelognathus, demonstrates additional evidence that modern gnathostomes evolved from placoderms.[1][2]
References
External links
- - Qilinyu rostrata: Silurian Fish from China Sheds Light on Jaw Evolution
- - Shocking Discovery: Human Jaws Could be Traced Back to Ancient Armored Fish
- - Fish fossil upends scientists’ view of jaw evolution
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