Metaxygnathus is an extinct genus of ichthyostegalian found in Late Devonian deposits of New South Wales, Australia .[1] It is known only from a lower jawbone. Previously thought to be a lobe-finned fish, it has now been reassigned to the earliest group of tetrapods.[2]

Metaxygnathus
Temporal range: Famennian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Sarcopterygii
Clade: Tetrapodomorpha
Clade: Stegocephali
Genus: Metaxygnathus
Campbell & Bell, 1977
Type species
Metaxygnathus denticulus
Campbell & Bell, 1977

References edit

  1. ^ Danny Kingsley (2002-12-19). "Four-legged fossil find in Asia rewrites history". ABC News.
  2. ^ Clack, J.A.; Ahlberg, P.E.; Blom, H.; Finney, S.M. (2012). "A new genus of Devonian tetrapod from North-East Greenland, with new information on the lower jaw of Ichthyostega". Palaeontology. 55 (1): 73–86. Bibcode:2012Palgy..55...73C. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2011.01117.x.
  • Campbell, K.S.W. and M.W. Bell. 1977. "A primitive amphibian from the Late Devonian of New South Wales." Alcheringa 1: 369–382.

External links edit