| Abstract: | THE first description of Anatolepis Bockelie & Fortey was from early Ordovician sediments of Ny Friesland, Spitsbergen1,2, but the genus is now known from many localities in North America and Greenland, ranging in age from the Late Cambrian period to the Early Ordovician3-6. Although initially interpreted as an agnathan fish2,3 that predated other representatives7, this has been widely disputed because the available histological data were unconvincing6,8-10 and the scales fell outside the known morphological range of other accepted early vertebrates9-11. Further doubt was cast upon the vertebrate affinity of Anatolepis when specimens from East Greenland were interpreted as the cuticular fragments of aglaspid arthropods6, although this interpretation has also been refuted12. Here we report on the morphology and histology of large collections of Anatolepis, and demonstrate the presence of dentine, a tissue unique to vertebrates, confirming that the taxon is both a vertebrate and the oldest known fish. |
| Genre: | Article |
| ProdID: | 70018467 |
| Citation Author: | Smith, M. P.; Sansom, I. J.; Repetski, J. E. |
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| Citation End Page: | 704 |
| Citation Issue: | 6576 |
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| Citation Language: | English |
| Citation Larger Work Title: | Nature |
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| Citation Number Of Pages: | 3 |
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| Citation Search Results Text: | Histology of the first fish; 1996; Article; Journal; Nature; Smith, M. P.; Sansom, I. J.; Repetski, J. E. |
| Citation Start Page: | 702 |
| Citation Volume: | 380 |
| Citation Year: | 1996 |
| Type: | citation/reference |
| Text: | Histology of the first fish; 1996; Article; Journal; Nature; Smith, M. P.; Sansom, I. J.; Repetski, J. E. |
| URL (THUMBNAIL): | http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/thumbnails/outside_thumb.jpg |
| Date Other: | Mon, 1 Jan 1996 00:00 -0600 |
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