Lepidosirenidae

Lepidosirenidae is a family of lungfish containing the genera Lepidosiren (the South American lungfish) and Protopterus (the African lungfish). Both genera were formerly thought to represent the distinct families Lepidosirenidae and Protopteridae within the order Lepidosireniformes, but a 2017 study analyzing all post-Devonian lungfish taxa found them to be better classified as different genera in a single family.[1][2]

Lepidosirenidae
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Holocene, 99.7 - 0 Mya
Protopterus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Order: Dipnoi
Suborder: Ceratodontoidei
Family: Lepidosirenidae
Bonaparte, 1841
Genera
Synonyms
  • Lepidosireniformes L. S. Berg (No date given, per Fowler, 1947)
  • Protopteridae Peters, 1855

Taxonomy

Their closest living relatives are of the family Neoceratodontidae, or the Australian lungfish, with both families being members of the suborder Ceratodontoidei. However, their closest relatives in general are of the extinct Gnathorhizidae, which forms a sister group to Lepidosirenidae. The clade containing both families forms a sister group to the extinct family Ptychoceratodontidae.[3] The earliest fossils for the family come from the Late Cretaceous, around 99.7 MYA, but phylogenetic evidence indicates the two genera split at the very beginning of the Early Cretaceous, around 145 MYA, and the family itself originated during the end-Carboniferous period.[4][2]

Biology

All lungfish of the order can and often do estivate (with the exception of the Spotted African lungfish, which can but rarely does so).[5] As well, the order is composed entirely of obligatory air-breathers; only the Australian lungfish has functioning gills in the adult members of the species whilst members of this order only have gills in the larvae.[5] The lungfish also all have generally small scales and two lungs as opposed to the Australian lungfish's single lung.[5]

References
  1. "Order Summary for Lepidosireniformes". www.fishbase.se. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  2. Kemp, Anne; Cavin, Lionel; Guinot, Guillaume (2017-04-01). "Evolutionary history of lungfishes with a new phylogeny of post-Devonian genera". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 471: 209–219. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.12.051. ISSN 0031-0182.
  3. Kemp, Anne; Cavin, Lionel; Guinot, Guillaume (2017-04-01). "Evolutionary history of lungfishes with a new phylogeny of post-Devonian genera". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 471: 209–219. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.12.051. ISSN 0031-0182.
  4. "Fossilworks: Lepidosirenidae". www.fossilworks.org. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
  5. Kemp, Anne; Cavin, Lionel; Guinot, Guillaume (2017-04-01). "Evolutionary history of lungfishes with a new phylogeny of post-Devonian genera". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 471: 209–219. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.12.051. ISSN 0031-0182.
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