Coelacanthus
Encyclopedia
Coelacanthus is a genus
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 coelacanth
Coelacanth
Coelacanths are members of an order of fish that includes the oldest living lineage of Sarcopterygii known to date....

s that first appearing during the Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...

 period. In fact, this was the first genus of coelacanths ever described, as the order Coelacanthiformes is named after it.

They bear a superficial similarity to the living Latimeria
Latimeria
Latimeria is a genus comprising the living species of coelacanth.-Biological characteristics:Based on growth rings in their ear bones , scientists infer that individual coelacanths may live as long as 80 to 100 years. Coelacanths live as deep as 700 m below sea level, but are more commonly...

, though they were smaller, and had more elongated heads. Individuals grew up to 3 feet in length, and had small lobed fins, suggesting that Coelacanthus were open-water predators.

Coelacanthus was a long-lived genus with a worldwide distribution. They survived the Permian–Triassic extinction event, and eventually died out during the Upper Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to  Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...

, around 145 million years ago.

Species of Coelacanthus

  • Coelacanthus banffensis Lambe
    Lambe
    Lambe is a surname, and may refer to:* Charles Lambe , Royal Navy admiral* Charles Laverock Lambe , Royal Air Force air marshal* John Lambe , English astrologer* John Lambe , English criminal...

    , 1916
  • Coelacanthus evolutus Beltan, 1980
  • Coelacanthus gracilis Agassiz
    Louis
    -Surname:* Arthur Louis , British musician whose surname is pronounced 'Lewis'* Thomas Louis , British naval officer* Pierre Louÿs , French writer* Spyridon Louis , Greek runner...

    , 1844,
  • Coelacanthus granulatus Agassiz
    Louis
    -Surname:* Arthur Louis , British musician whose surname is pronounced 'Lewis'* Thomas Louis , British naval officer* Pierre Louÿs , French writer* Spyridon Louis , Greek runner...

    , 1836
  • Coelacanthus harlemensis Winkler
    Winkler
    Winkler may refer to:* Winkler, Manitoba, a Canadian city* Winkler scale, also known as the heat summation scale for classifying climates* Winkler , by Giles Coren* Winkler , a crater on the Moon...

    , 1871
  • Coelacanthus lunzensis Reis
    Reis
    -Surname:Reis is a common surname in the Portuguese language, namely in Portugal and Brazil. It was originally a Christian devotional family name of the Middle Ages, probably due to the Portuguese name for the Biblical Magi, the Reis Magos . Sometimes the surname is dos Reis...

    , 1900
  • Coelacanthus madagascariensis Woodward
    Woodward
    A Woodward is a warden of a wood and, deriving from that, an occupational surname. It may refer to:-People:* Alan Woodward , former British soccer player* Alfred Woodward , American jurist, and father of Bob Woodward...

    , 1910
  • Coelacanthus minor Agassiz
    Louis
    -Surname:* Arthur Louis , British musician whose surname is pronounced 'Lewis'* Thomas Louis , British naval officer* Pierre Louÿs , French writer* Spyridon Louis , Greek runner...

    , 1844
  • Coelacanthus welleri Eastman
    Eastman
    -People:* Carole Eastman , American screenwriter* Charles Eastman , Native American physician, writer, national lecturer and reformer* Crystal Eastman American lawyer, antimilitarist, feminist, socialist and journalist...

    , 1908
  • Coelacanthus whitea Lehman
    Lehman
    - People :*Albert Lehman, American Olympic medalist lacrosse player* Bruce Lehman , American patent lawyer* David Lehman , American poetry editor* Edward E...

    , 1952

External links

Mikko's Phylogeny Archive
Mikko's Phylogeny Archive
Mikko's Phylogeny Archive is an amateur paleontology website maintained by Mikko Haaramo, a student at the University of Helsinki's Department of Geology, Division of Geology and Palaeontology....

on Coelacanthiformes
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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