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RHINODIPTERUS
(ry-noe-dip-teh-rus)
Named By: A. M. Clement in 2012
Time Period: Unavailable
Location: Australia - Gogo Formation
Size: About 12.5 centimetres long
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore
Fossil(s): Partially preserved individual
Classification: | Chordata | Gnathostomata | Osteichthyes | Sarcopterygii | Dipnoi |
About

Rhinodipterus is an extinct genus of prehistoric dipnoan sarcopterygians or lobe-finned fish, that lived in the Devonian Period, between 416 and 359 million years ago. It is believed to have inhabited shallow, salt-water reefs, and is one of the earliest known examples of marine lungfish. Research published in 2010 based on an exceptionally well-preserved specimen from the Gogo Formation of Australia has shown that Rhinodipterus has cranial ribs attached to its braincase and was probably adapted for air-breathing to some degree. This could be the only case known for a marine lungfish with air-breathing adpatations.

Read more about Rhinodipterus at Wikipedia
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