Abstract
A chimaerid holocephalian, Chimaera zangerli sp. nov., is described from both palatine tooth plates, two tooth plate fragments, and part of the chondrocranium in a nodule from the Maastrichtian of Antarctica. Possibly the oldest known chimaerid, C. zangerli sp. nov. exhibits a tooth plate which is a morphological intermediate between that of the Jurassic Ganodus and the Oligocene C. rupeliensis. The presence of C. zangerli sp. nov. before the end of the Cretaceous is evidence of the early evolution of the Chimaeridae, considered the most derived of the chimaeroid fishes.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 979-989 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Palaeontology |
Volume | 42 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 1999 |