The origin of modern marlins (Teleostei: Istiophoridae)
- Author(s)
- Carlos Fernando De Gracia Castro, Björn Berning, Jürgen Kriwet
- Abstract
We report the oldest fossil record of Istiophoridae from the Northern Alpine Foreland Basin (WesternParatethys) in Pucking, Austria (Lower Miocene, lower Aquitanian,∼22.4 Ma). The studied specimen consists offragments offive articulated vertebrae and a partially preserved second dorsalfin. We found that the Pucking specimen isonly surpassed in age by an isolated vertebra from the Chandler Bridge Formation (South Carolina, U.S.A.), with∼24.7–23.5 Ma. Pucking and the Chandler Bridge Formation differ in age by∼1.1–2.6 Ma. The fossil istiophorid from the Chandler Bridge Formation was considered controversial due to the large gap in the fossil record between thefirstappearance of Istiophoridae and the last appearance of any other extinct billfish clade. Here we report that Pucking(Lower Miocene) and South Carolina (Oligocene) share the occurrence of Istiophoridae,†Xiphiorhynchinae (Xiphiidae),and†Aglyptorhynchinae (†Palaeorhynchidae). Ourfinding demonstrates that the coexistence of different groups ofbillfishes is maintained over time and that the Chandler Bridge specimen is a reliable record. Our work closes a temporalgap of∼4.4 Ma between the previously recognized oldest Istiophoridae (∼18 Ma) and the last appearance of†Xiphiorhynchinae and†Aglyptorhynchinae. This result supports a longer evolutionary history for Istiophoridae,establishes continuity in the billfish fossil record, and is significant for future time calibrated phylogenies.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
- Journal
- Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
- Volume
- 43
- Pages
- 1-6
- No. of pages
- 6
- ISSN
- 0272-4634
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2023.2281490
- Publication date
- 2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106012 Evolutionary research, 105118 Palaeontology
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Palaeontology
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/135278d0-44ae-428a-9a70-636cf5a171ae