Paleontologists have discovered the oldest bony fish specimens ever found in the Guanling Formation in Yunnan Province.
Two of the three specimens of Peltoperleidus asiaticus found in Yunnan, China. (Photo: PeerJ)
According to a description in the journal PeerJ, the fossils belong to a new predatory fish species named Peltoperleidus asiaticus, which lived during the Middle Triassic period. They are only a few centimeters long and exhibit many features similar to the prehistoric ray-finned fish Perleidus, such as sharp teeth, a short snout, and deep scales.
What is particularly remarkable about Peltoperleidus asiaticus is its “suspended” lower jaw beneath the skull, allowing it to open its mouth wider to catch prey. Its dorsal and pelvic fins are also more flexible, enabling it to swim significantly faster than its relative, the ray-finned fish Perleidus.
Peltoperleidus asiaticus is the first representative of the Peltoperleidus genus found outside Europe. Previously, fossils of this bony fish genus were only discovered in southern Switzerland and northern Italy.
This new discovery also pushes back the fossil record of Peltoperleidus by over 2 million years. While the oldest specimens in Europe date back approximately 242 million years, analysis of the fossils in Guanling indicates that Peltoperleidus asiaticus appeared on Earth at least 242 million years ago.
In addition to the three Peltoperleidus specimens, the research team also found over 20 fossils of other aquatic vertebrate species, demonstrating the high level of biodiversity in the Guanling Formation in the past.
