Minjinia turgenensis is a species of placoderm from the Devonian of Mongolia. It is known from a single specimen preserving part of the skull, including remains of endochondral bone, which indicates that a mineralised endoskeleton evolved before the split between bony and cartilaginous fish, and that it was lost in the latter group.[1]

Minjinia
Temporal range: Pragian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: incertae sedis
Genus: Minjinia
Brazeau et al., 2020
Species:
M. turgenensis
Binomial name
Minjinia turgenensis
Brazeau et al., 2020

Classification

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In the phylogenetic analysis ran by Brazeau et al., M. turgenensis was found as the sister taxon of a clade formed by Entelognathus, Ramirosuarezia, Janusiscus and the crown gnathostomes. A cladogram simplified from their analysis is shown below:[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Brazeau, Martin D.; Giles, Sam; Dearden, Richard P.; Jerve, Anna; Ariunchimeg, Ya.; Zorig, E.; Sansom, Robert; Guillerme, Thomas; Castiello, Marco (7 September 2020). "Endochondral bone in an Early Devonian 'placoderm' from Mongolia". Nature Ecology & Evolution. 4 (11): 1477–1484. Bibcode:2020NatEE...4.1477B. doi:10.1038/s41559-020-01290-2. hdl:10044/1/82739. PMID 32895518.