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Latimeria chalumnae and its pedigree

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Synopsis

Latimeria is the product of a long coelacanth lineage, usually viewed as having changed very little. In this paper a classification of better known coelacanth genera is proposed based on a cladistic computer analysis of 56 morphological characters. Biometrical data are then matched with the classification to explore the possibility of identifying subtle change. It is concluded that throughout coelacanth history there have been changes in the structure of the vertebral column involving an overall increase in the number of vertebral elements, and a consequent crowding of these elements within the abdominal region. These changes may be associated with increasing lobation of the second dorsal and anal fins. In the skull, parameters involving the intracranial joint have also changed in such a way that the anterior part of the skull has lengthened in relation to the posterior part and this may be associated with an increase in length of the basicranial muscle.

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Abbreviations

Ang:

angular

a.o.r:

anterior opening of th rostral organ

Art:

articular

ba.cr.m:

basicranial muscle

Basi:

basisphenoid

Boc:

basioccipital

bpt.pr:

basipterygoid process

c.p.l:

cheek pit line

De:

dentary

Esc:

extrascapular

eth.sp:

etmosphenoid

f.e:

frontoethmoid

Fr:

frontal

Fr.d:

descending process of frontal

intr. j:

intracranial joint

io.s:

interorbital septum

sc:

jugal sensory canal

L.e:

lateral ethmoid

m.Cor:

modified coronoid

Mm:

memtomeckelian

m.ot.sc:

medial branch of otic canal

Op:

operculum

o.p.l:

oral pit line

ot,occ:

otico-occipital

Pa:

parietal

Pa.d:

descending process of parietal

Par:

parasphenoid

pa.s:

parietal shield

p.Cor:

principal coronoid

Po:

postorbital

Pop:

preoperculum

p.o.r:

posterior openings of the rostral organ

Pmx:

premaxilla, Pre-preorbital

Pro:

prootic

Pro.p:

posterior process of prootic

Rart:

retroarticular

Sc.o:

sclerotic ossicle

So:

supraorbital

Soc:

supraoccipital

Sop:

suboperculum

Sp:

spiracular

spl:

splenial

Sq:

squamosal

Stt:

supratemporal

Stt.com:

supratemporal commissure

Stt.d:

descending process of supratemporal

Par.a.w:

ascending wing of parasphenoid

Te:

tectal

X:

level of vagus exit

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Palaeontology, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, England

    Peter L. Forey

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Forey, P.L. Latimeria chalumnae and its pedigree. Environ Biol Fish 32, 75–97 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00007446

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