Libys

Libys; Temporal range: Jurassic
	Lybis superbus, at the Jura Museum, Eichstaett
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Sarcopterygii
Subclass:	Actinistia
Order:	Coelacanthiformes
Family:	Latimeridae
Genus:	Libys; Münster, 1842
Species
	Libys polypterus (Münster 1842) (type); Libys superbus (Zittel, 1887);

Libys is a genus of coelacanth lobe-finned fish in the family of Latimeridae. Species of Libys lived during the Upper Jurassic period (Kimmeridgian - Tithonian, about 150 to 145 million years ago).

Description

Libys had an exceptionally squat body, especially when compared to other coelacanths of the same period as Undina and Holophagus. Libys could reach 60 centimeters in length and was therefore a medium-sized coelacanth, with a short and high skull. The pectoral fins were quite long, while the tail was remarkably short and high

Distribution

Fossils of these fishes have been found in Germany, in the famous deposits of Solnhofen.

Species

Libys superbus Reis, 1888
Libys polypterus

The genus Libys was erected in 1842 by Muenster. The species Libys polypterus was then established as the type species, on the basis of fragmentary remains. A second species, L. superbus, was described on the basis of complete large specimens, but most authors treat both as one species.

Libys superbus at the Teylers Museum, Haarlem

Libys superbus at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien

gollark: It's also a year before the regular GPS navigation messages' week numbers roll over.

gollark: Well, it's about 100 years before the GPS CNAV week number rollover.

gollark: Oh, yes, of course, 7 is less than 8.

gollark: It's a bit after the Unix time rollover, no?

gollark: Yes, retroactively.

References

Biolib
The Paleobiology Database
Paul H. LAMBERS A redescription of the coelacanth Macropoma willemoesii VETTER from the lithographic limestone of Solnhofen (Upper Jurassic, Bavaria)
History of the Coelacanth Fishes by Peter L. Forey, Chapman & Hall, 1998.
von Dr. Peter Wellnhofer Der Quastenflosser Latimeria - ein "lebendes Fossil"

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.