Ferganoceratodus martini, Cavin & Suteethorn & Buffetaut & Tong, 2007

Cavin, Lionel, Suteethorn, Varavudh, Buffetaut, Eric & Tong, Haiyan, 2007, A new Thai Mesozoic lungfish (Sarcopterygii, Dipnoi) with an insight into post-Palaeozoic dipnoan evolution, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149 (2), pp. 141-177 : 144-146

FERGANOCERATODUS MARTINI SP. NOV.

Holotype ( Fig. 3 ): TF 7712 , an incomplete skull roof with articulated palatine tooth plates, lower jaw with tooth plates, parasphenoid, isolated pieces of the ‘hard snout’, elements of the first six vertebral elements and fractured scales. The fragments of ‘hard snout’ have not been found in connection with the rest of the skull, but were discovered during the mechanical preparation of the skull roof in its plaster jacket. They belong beyond doubt to the same individual because the pieces have been found a few centimetres apart and because of the similar structure in the bone of the skull roof and the pieces of the snout (see below).

Etymology: Species dedicated to Dr Michel Martin for his contribution to the study of lungfishes.

Type locality: Phu Nam Jun, Kalasin Province, northeast Thailand, upper part of the Phu Kradung Formation, Late Jurassic or basal Cretaceous.

Diagnosis: Ferganoceratodus with a vertical nonoverlapping suture between the posterior bone of the median series and the paired anterior bones of the mediolateral series; posterior bone overlapping the anterior bone in the mediolateral series over a proportionally large area; posterior bone of the mediolateral series with no median process; lower toothplates with a first notch not significantly deeper than the following ones, with an inner angle of more than 90°; a straight and broad anterior margin of the skull roof, axes of the orbits orientated laterally, anteriormost bone of the mediolateral series proportionally large; tip of the snout with mineralized tissue.

Figures

Figure 3. Ferganoceratodus martini sp. nov. Holotype TF 7712. Photographs and interpretative drawings of the skull roof and upper tooth plates in dorsal views (A), internal views (B), anterior view with the lower jaw (C) and photograph in left lateral view (D). Scale bars: 30 mm.