Avitoluvarus
Encyclopedia
Avitoluvarus is a genus
of extinct louvar
that lived in the Tethys Ocean
during the early Paleogene
. The first specimens were found from the Danata Formation Lagerstätten, of the Thanetian
epoch of Turkmenistan
, where they were originally thought to be smaller or juvenile individuals of the true louvar, Luvarus necopinatus
. These specimens were later reexamined, and determined to be a separate genus comprising two species.
A third species, A. eocaenicus is known from the Middle Eocene of the Kumsky Horizon, in what is now the Northern Caucasus Mountains
in Southwestern Russia
.
Avitoluvarus differs from modern louvars in that the former's forehead does not bulge out as much, giving the appearance of having the face appear higher.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of extinct louvar
Louvar
The louvar or luvar, Luvarus imperialis, is a species of perciform fish, the only extant species in the genus Luvarus and family Luvaridae. Other species and genera are only known from fossils dating back to the Paleogene. It is closely related to the surgeonfish...
that lived in the Tethys Ocean
Tethys Ocean
The Tethys Ocean was an ocean that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia during the Mesozoic era before the opening of the Indian Ocean.-Modern theory:...
during the early Paleogene
Paleogene
The Paleogene is a geologic period and system that began 65.5 ± 0.3 and ended 23.03 ± 0.05 million years ago and comprises the first part of the Cenozoic Era...
. The first specimens were found from the Danata Formation Lagerstätten, of the Thanetian
Thanetian
The Thanetian is, in the ICS' Geologic timescale, the latest age or uppermost stratigraphic stage of the Paleocene Epoch or series. It spans the time between and . The Thanetian is preceded by the Selandian age and followed by the Ypresian age...
epoch of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
, where they were originally thought to be smaller or juvenile individuals of the true louvar, Luvarus necopinatus
Luvarus necopinatus
Luvarus necopinatus is a species of extinct louvar that lived in the Tethys Ocean during the early Paleogene. It differs from the modern species, L. imperialis, in that L...
. These specimens were later reexamined, and determined to be a separate genus comprising two species.
A third species, A. eocaenicus is known from the Middle Eocene of the Kumsky Horizon, in what is now the Northern Caucasus Mountains
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
in Southwestern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
Avitoluvarus differs from modern louvars in that the former's forehead does not bulge out as much, giving the appearance of having the face appear higher.