Gogonasus

Graphical reconstruction of Gogonasus

  • Western Australia ( Gogo Formation)

Gogonasus andrewsae Long, 1985

Gogonasus is the name of about 380 million year old fossil fish genus from the late Devonian. Because of their anatomical features and the geological strata in which the fossils were found, Gogonasus is considered earlier relative of Panderichthys and Tiktaalik and thus - like this - as a precursor of the later land vertebrates ( tetrapods ). A precursor of Gogonasus was again a fossil fish called Eusthenopteron.

The genus Gogonasus was known since 1985 from Western Australia. However, with all finds, among other regions the gills and fins were poorly preserved. It was not until a 2005 discovered in a limestone quarry in the same region, unusually well- preserved specimen ( NMV P221897, Museum Victoria, Melbourne), in which, with the help of X-ray analyzes even internal organs could be detected, brought surprising details revealed: " a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived. similar Panderichthys - - already greatly expanded spiracles (breathing holes) in the gills, which later developed into the ear canal and middle ear tetrapodenähnlichen features " Full of typical characteristics for fish Gogonasus had. The arrangement of the pectoral fins - bones similar to those seen in Tiktaalik: at that prehistoric fish so that the terrestrial vertebrates is based on current knowledge the next.

Swell

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