Coccoderma
Extinct genus of fishes / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coccoderma is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine coelacanth which lived during the Late Jurassic period.[1] Fossils have been found in Germany and France.[2] It was small in size, about 27.5 cm. They had very long and sharp teeth.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Coccoderma | |
---|---|
Specimen of C. suevicum | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Sarcopterygii |
Class: | Actinistia |
Order: | Coelacanthiformes |
Family: | †Laugiidae |
Genus: | †Coccoderma Quenstdedt, 1858 |
Type species | |
†Coccoderma suevicum Quenstdedt, 1858 | |
Species | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
|
Close
It was one of the earliest coelacanths to be properly studied by science.[3] It lived far later than other members of its family (Laugiidae), which otherwise only existed during the Early Triassic, thus leaving an exceptional ghost lineage of over 100 million years. It was the last surviving member of the non-latimerioid coelacanths (e.g. coelacanths outside of Latimeriidae and Mawsoniidae).[4]