Ligulalepis Temporal range:
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Superclass: | Osteichthyes |
Genus: | †Ligulalepis Schultze 1968 |
Type species | |
†Ligulalepis toombsi Schultze 1968 | |
Species | |
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Ligulalepis is an extinct genus of prehistoric bony fish.[1] Ligulalepis was first described from isolated scales found in the Taemas-Wee jasper limestones of New South Wales (Early Devonian age) by Dr Hans-Peter Schultze (1968[2]) and further material described by Burrow (1994).[3] A nearly complete skull found in the same general location was described in Nature by Basden et al. (2000) claiming the genus was closely related to basal ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii).[4] In 2015 Flinders University student Benedict King found a more complete new skull of this genus which was formally described by Clement et al. (2018), showing the fish to be on the stem of all osteichthyans.[5]