Pygopterus Temporal range:
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P. humboldti fossil (Museum of Paleontology, Tübingen) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Family: | †Pygopteridae |
Genus: | †Pygopterus Agassiz, 1833 |
Type species | |
†Palaeothrissium humboldti Blainville, 1818
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Other species[1] | |
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Pygopterus is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish that lived during the Wuchiapingian to Olenekian ages (late Permian to Early Triassic epochs) in what is now England, Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Saxony-Anhalt), Greenland and Svalbard (Spitsbergen).[2][3] It is one of the few genera of ray-finned fish known to cross the Permian-Triassic boundary.[3]
Fossils have been found in the Marl Slate Formation, Kupferschiefer (Werra Formation), Ravnefjeld Formation, Vikinghøgda Formation and Buntsandstein.[1][2] A report about the discovery of this fish in Westphalian deposits of Belgium was likely caused by the presence of Nematoptychius which was referred to as Pygopterus in late 19th century.[4]
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