Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Family Lepisosteida (Gars) as Living Fossils

  • Chapter
Living Fossils

Part of the book series: Casebooks in Earth Sciences

Abstract

Gars (Fig. 1). are primitive neopterygian fishes with elongate snout, plicidentine teeth, opisthocoelous vertebrae, heavy dermal bone retaining ganoid ornamentation, ganoid scales, a semiheterocercal tail, and fulcral scales on the median fins. The elongate snout is an ontogenetic product of ethmoid elongation and is correlated with many of the synapomorphies characterizing the family (Wiley 1976). Plicidentine teeth and opistocoelous vertebrae are also synapomorphies (Patterson 1973). The remaining characters are retained plesiomorphies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literature

  • Arambourg, C., Joleaud, L. 1943. Vertébrés fossiles du bassin du Niger. Bull. Dir. des Nîmes A.O.F. 7:1–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjork, P. R. 1967. Latest Eocene vertebrates from Northwestern South Dakota. J. Paleont. 41:227–236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Casier, E. 1961. Matériaux pour la faune ichthyologique éocrétacique du Congo. Ann. Mus. roy. Afr. Centr. 8 Vol. Sci. Geol. 39:1–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope, E. D. 1869. Second edition to the history of fishes of the Cretaceous of the United States. Proc. Amer. Philos. Soc. 9:240–244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope, E. D. 1873. On the extinct Vertebrata of the Eocene of Wyoming, observed by the expedition of 1872, with notes on the geology. U.S. Geol. Surv. Terr. 1872: 565–649.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope, E. D. 1884. The Vertebrata of the Tertiary formations of the West. U.S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Terr., III: 1–1009.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons, E. 1858. Agriculture of the eastern counties, together with descriptions of the fossils of the Marl beds. Report of the North Carolina Geological Survey, Raleigh, NC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eshelman, R. E. 1975. Geology and paleontology of the Early Pleistocene (Late Blancan) White Rock fauna from north-central Kansas. U. Michigan Paper Paleont. No. 13:1–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estes, R., Hutchison, J. H. 1980. Eocene lower vertebrates from Ellesmere Island, Canadian Artie Archipelago. Paleogeo., Paleoclim., Paleoecol. 30:325–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, W. (ed.). 1978. FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. VI volumes, looseleaf.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fowler, H. W. 1911. A description of the fossil fish remains of the Cretaceous, Eocene and Miocene Formations of New Jersey. Bull. Geol. Surv. N.J. 4:22–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grande, L. 1980. Paleontology of the Green River Formation, with a review of the fish fauna. Geol. Surv. Wyoming Bull. 63:1–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hay O. P. 1919. Descriptions of some mammalian and fish remains from Florida of probably Pleistocene age. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 56:103–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hay, O. P. 1923. The Pleistocene of North America and its vertebrate animals from the states east of the Mississippi River and from the Canadian Provinces east of longitude 95°. Carnegie Inst. Washington. Publ. No. 322:1–499.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hay, O. P. 1926. A collection of Pleistocene vertebrates from Southwestern Texas. Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. 68:1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hay, O. P. 1929. Second bibliography and catalogue of the fossil vertebrates of North America, Vol. I. Carnegie Inst. Washington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hennig, W. 1966. Phylogenetic systematics. Urbana: U. Illinois Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jessen, H. 1972. Schultergürtel und Pectoralflosse bei Actinopterygiern. Fossils and Strata 1:1–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinkelin, G. F. 1884. Die Schleusenkammer von Frankfurt-Niederrad und ihre Fauna. Ber. Senckenberg. Naturforsch. Ges. 1884:219–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambe, L. M. 1908. The vertebrates of the Oligocene of the Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan. Contrib. Canad. Paleont. 3:1–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Mus. Nat. Hist., Raleigh, NC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leidy, J. 1856. Notice of remains of extinct reptiles and fishes, discovered by Dr. F. V. Hayden in the Bad Lands of the Judith River, Nebraska Territory. Amer. J. Sci. 2:118–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leidy, J. 1873. Notice of remains of fishes in the Bridger Tertiary formation of Wyoming. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 1873:97–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münster, G. von, 1846. Ueber einen in den tertiären Ablagerungen der Gegend von Magdeburg gefundenen neuen Fischzahn. Beitr. Petrefactenkunde 7:34–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neff, N. A. 1975. Fishes of the Kanopolis local fauna (Pleistocene) of Ellsworth County, Kansas. U. Michigan Pap. Paleont. No. 12:39–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson, G. J. 1969. Gill arches and the phylogeny of fishes with notes on the classification of vertebrates. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 141:475–552.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, C. 1973. Interrelationships of holosteans. In: Greenwood, P. H., Miles, R., Patterson, C. (eds.), Interrelationships of fishes.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, C. 1973. Interrelationships of holosteans Zool. J. Linnean Soc. 53, supp. 1:233–305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, C., Rosen, D. E. 1977. Review of ichthyodectiform and other Mesozoic teleost fishes and the theory and practice of classifying fossils. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 158(2):81–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rayner, D. H. 1948. The structure of certain Jurassic holostean fishes with special reference to their neurocrania. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London 223B:287–345.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robins, C. R., R. M. Bailey, C. E. Bond, J. R. Brooker, E. A. Lachner, R. N. Lea, and W. B. Scott. 1980. A list of common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. (4th ed.) Amer. Fish. Soc. Spec. Publ. No. 12:1–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauvage, H. E. 1897. Note sûr les lépidosteides du terrain garumnien du Portugal. Bull. Soc. Geol. France 25:92–96.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz, G. E. 1965. Pleistocene vertebrates from the Butler Springs local fauna, Meade County, Kansas. Pap. Michigan Acad. Sci. 50:235–265.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, C. L. 1962. Some Pliocene fishes from Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska. Copeia 1962:505–520.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G. R. 1964. A late Illinoian fish fauna from southwestern Kansas and its climatic significance. Copeia 1964:278–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, G. R., and J. G. Lundberg. 1972. The Sand Draw fish fauna. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 148:40–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suttkus, R. D. 1963. Order Lepisostei. Mem. Sears Found. Marine Res., 1:61–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swift, C. 1968. Pleistocene freshwater fishes from Ingleside Pit, San Patricio County, Texas. Copeia 1968:62–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Uyeno, T., Miller, R. R. 1963. Summary of Late Cenozoic freshwater fish records of North America. Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool. U. Michigan 631:1–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiler, W. 1961. Die Fischfauna des unteroligozänen Melanientons und des Rupeltons in der Hessischen Senke. Notizbl. Hess. Landesamt, Bodenforsch.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westoll, T. S. 1944. The Haplolepidae, a new family of Late Carboniferous bony fishes. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 85:1–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiley, E. O. 1976. The phylogeny and biogeography of fossil and Recent gars (Actinopterygii:Lepisosteidae). U. of Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. Misc. Publ. No. 64:1–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiley, E. O. 1981. Phylogenetics: the theory and practice of phylogenetic systematics. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiley, E. O., Stewart, J. D. 1977. A gar (Lepisosteus sp.) from the marine Cretaceous Niobrara Formation of Western Kansas. Copeia 1977:761–762.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, R. L. 1968. Systematics and faunal analysis of a Lower Pliocene vertebrate assemblage from Trego county, Kansas. Cont. Mus. Paleont. U. Michigan 22:75–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winkler, T. C. 1876. Deuxième mémoire sur les dents des poissons fossiles du terrain bruxellian. Arch. Mus. Tey1er 4:16–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood, S. V. 1846. On the discovery of an alligator and of several new Mammalia in the Hordwell Cliff, with observations upon the geological phenomena of that locality. Lond. Geol. J. 1:1–17, 117–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodward, A. S. 1890. Description of a fish skull (from the Lameta beds, Nagpur, India). Rec.-Geol. Surv. India 23:23–24.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museum of Natural History and Department of Systematics and Ecology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA

    E. O. Wiley & Hans-Peter Schultze

Authors
  1. E. O. Wiley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hans-Peter Schultze
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Invertebrates, The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, 10024, New York, NY, USA

    Niles Eldredge

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University, 21218, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Steven M. Stanley

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1984 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Wiley, E.O., Schultze, HP. (1984). Family Lepisosteida (Gars) as Living Fossils. In: Eldredge, N., Stanley, S.M. (eds) Living Fossils. Casebooks in Earth Sciences. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8271-3_17

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8271-3_17

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8273-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-8271-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation