Harajicadectes (IPA: [ˌhɑːɾɑːdʒɪkɑːˈdektes]) (meaning "Harajica biter") is a genus of stem-tetrapod from the Givetian to Frasnian Amadeus Basin in Northern Territory, Australia. The type and only species is Harajicadectes zhumini, known from 13 specimens of various preservation quality.[1]

Harajicadectes
Temporal range:
Givetian to Frasnian, 387.7–372.2 Ma
Reconstructed skull and pectoral girdle of Harajicadectes zhumini
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Sarcopterygii
Clade: Tetrapodomorpha
Genus: Harajicadectes
Choo et al., 2024
Species:
H. zhumini
Binomial name
Harajicadectes zhumini
Choo et al., 2024

Description

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Choo et al., (2024) assigned a holotype and paratype to Harajicadectes, NTM P6410, and CPC 39948 respectively. The holotype consists of a partial skull and much of the body outline in dorsal view with squamation preserved. The paratype consists of a partial skull, right post-temporal and right lower jaw.[1]

Etymology

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The generic name, Harajicadectes (IPA: [ˌhɑːɾɑːdʒɪkɑːˈdektes]), is derived from the member the specimens were found in, the Harajica Sandstone Member, and the Greek 'dēktēs', which translates to 'biter'. The specific name, zhumini (IPA: [ˌzjuˈmɪnaɪ]), honours Prof. Min Zhu of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing; China, for his numerous contributions to early vertebrate paleontology.[1]

Classification

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Choo et al., (2024) recovered Harajicadectes as a stem-tetrapod. They reconstructed two trees collated from 336 most parsimonious trees. The first tree is a strict consensus tree, the numbers represent Bremer support values. The second tree is a 50% majority-rule consensus tree, the numbers are node support bootstrap values.[1] Their results are reproduced below:


References

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  1. ^ a b c d Choo, Brian; Holland, Timothy; Clement, Alice M.; King, Benedict; Challands, Tom; Young, Gavin; Long, John A. (5 February 2024). "A new stem-tetrapod fish from the Middle–Late Devonian of central Australia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2285000.