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Issue: Vol. 1 No. 3: September 2024
Type: Article
Published: 2024-09-30
DOI: 10.11646/mesozoic.1.3.18
Page range: 389–395
Abstract views: 90
PDF downloaded: 48

New insights into Tibetodus gyrodoides Young & Liu, 1954 (Actinopterygii, Pycnodontiformes) from the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau based on micro-CT data

School of Earth Sciences, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK; Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10044, China
Actinopterygii Pycnodontiformes Qinghai-Xizang Plateau micro-CT tooth wear EFA morphospace

Abstract

The Pycnodontiformes is a distinctive group of fossil actinopterygian (ray-finned) fishes from the Late Triassic to Palaeogene. Tibetodus gyrodoides, reported in 1954, represents the only known fossil record of this group in China, holding significant scientific and historical importance. In this study, non-destructive techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) were utilised to reexamine the specimen, providing new insights into both the surface morphology and internal structures of the vomer and its teeth and investigating the process of tooth wear. A tooth covered by matrix was also discovered. Furthermore, an Elliptical Fourier Analysis (EFA) was conducted to quantitatively analyse the morphology of the palatal teeth in this specimen, adding new data for future research on pycnodontiforms and their feeding behavior.

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