Acta Palaeontologica Polonica

A new genus of lungfish from the Givetian (Middle Devonian) of central Australia

Alice M. Clement

Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 54 (4), 2009: 615-626 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4202/app.2008.0057

A new Dipterus−like lungfish, Harajicadipterus youngi, is described from the Givetian (Middle Devonian) Harajica Sandstone Member of central Australia. The material is comprised of five specimens representing the skull roof, orbital bones, tooth plates, operculo−gular bones, a partial pectoral girdle, centra and scales. Harajicadipterus can be distinguished from other dipnoans by its long postorbital cheek, broad B bone, lack of contact between E and C bones, and radiating tooth rows with some denticles evident between the rows. Results of a cladistic analysis of 81 characters for 33 dipnoan taxa resolved Harajicadipterus below the holodontid clade but as more derived than Dipterus and the chirodipterid clade.

Key words: Dipnoi, phylogeny, Devonian, Givetian, Harajica Formation, Australia.

Alice M. Clement [aclement@museum.vic.gov.au], Museum Victoria, PO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia; Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 0200, Australia.


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