G404 Geobiology

Origin of vertebrates
and radiation of fishes

Reading: Benton
Chapters 3 & 7

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

Meteoraspis , an osteostracan (by John A. Long,

from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Michael Coates
University of Chicago

Walks on shale:
the origin of tetrapods in the midPaleozoic

Geology Colloquium
Monday, October 31st
4 pm, Geology Building Room 143

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

The origin of chordates and

vertebrates

Branchiostoma (Amphioxus), living

cephalochordate

Chordates originated in early

Cambrian or perhaps late Proterozoic

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Pikaia, early chordate from the Burgess

Shale, Middle Cambrian, British Columbia

* neural crest (tissue related to head development)

* brain
* paired olfactory capsules, semicircular canals

Unnamed

* somites (segmented muscles)

* neural tube with grey and white matter

Pikaia gracilens, Middle Cambrian, British Columbia, Canada

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Myllokungmingia, early chordate from the

Chengjiang site, Early Cambrian, China

Chordata

* notochord
* dorsal nerve tube
* tail used for swimming

Deuterostomia

* blastopore becomes anus during development

Myllokungmingia,, Early Cambrian, Yunnan, China (from Long,

2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Phylogeny of early vertebrates

jawed fish

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Agnatha, jawless fish (paraphyletic)

* jaws

Unnamed

Pteraspidomorphi

* neurocranium (braincase) closed dorsally

* oak-leaf shaped
dermal tubercles

Unnamed

* sensory line enclosed in canals

* opercular flaps

Unnamed

* paired fins or fin folds

Unnamed

* trunk dermal skeleton

Unnamed

* calcified dermal skeleton

Craniata

* eye muscles
* symmetrical gills
* 2 semicircular canals

Vertebrata
Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Living agnathans (jawless fish)

Hagfish (Acraniates)
Lampreys (Craniates)

A living hagfish, Myxine glutinosa. (from

Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

A living lamprey, Geotria australis. (from

Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Conodonts
Cambrian to Triassic
Tiny early vertebrates
Phosphatic tooth elements are
what are normally preserved as
fossils
Change in color of phosphatic
material used as
paleothermometer to study past
temperature of the rock

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Conodont elements (teeth) in life position

Pandorinellina
remscheidensis elements
and reconstruction their
position in a living animal

(Aldridge and Purnell, 1996. The conodont controversies. TREE,

11: 463-468)

Manticolepis subrecta
apparatus in life position
Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(Dzik, 1991, Evolution of oral apparatuses in the conodont

chordates. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 36: 265-323)

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Astraspids and Heterostracans

Astaraspids

Small Ordovician fish

Mobile tail
Covered in bony plates made of bone,
dentine, and enameloid

Astaraspis, Late
Ordovician

Errivaspis waynensis from the Early Devonian, United Kingdom

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Heterostraci

Astaraspis from the Late Ordovician, Colorado (from Long,

2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Silurian and Devonian radiation

More than 300 species
Head shields with upper and lower plates

Liliaspis, heterostracan from the Early Devonian, Russia (from

Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Theolodonts

Sphenonectris turnerae, Early Devonian of Canada (from Long,

2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Thelodonts

Small, nearly unarmored fish

Ordovician through Devonian

Furcicauda, Early Devonian of Canada (from Long, 2011, The

Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Osteostracans
Meteoraspis , an osteostracan (by John A. Long,
from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Major group of fishes, more than 300 species in three subclades

Massive dorsal head shield
Gill openings on ventral side
Radiated Ordovician through Devonian
Zenaspis selwayi(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Cephelaspis pagei from Early Devonian of Britain (from Long,

2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Heterostracan versus osteostracan agnathans

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Gnathostomes: jawed fishes

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Includes tetrapods

Osteichthyes (bony fish)

Unnamed

* teeth erupt from dental lamina

* nasal capsule attached to rest of chondrocranium

Gnathostomes

* jaws derived from palatoquadrate (upper)

and Meckels (lower) cartilages
* endoskeletal pectoral and pelvic girdles

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Placodermi - early gnathostomes

Latocamurus, a placoderm from Late Devonian of Australia
(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Incisoscutumm, a placoderm from Late Devonian of Australia

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Dunkleosteus, a placoderm from Devonian of Ohio (from Long,

2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Live birth in placoderms

Materpiscis attenboroughi, Devonian
from Gogo, Australia

Materpiscis attenboroughis, Devonian of Australia

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Materpiscis attenboroughi, Devonian of Australia

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)
Campbellodus decipiens, Devonian of Australia
(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Chondrichthyes - sharks, rays and chimeras

Falcatus, stethacanthid shark from the Early Carboniferous

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Acmonistion, stethacanthid shark from the Early Carboniferous

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Chlamydoselache teeth
(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

Helicoprion, shark from the Permian

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Actinopterygia - ray-finned fish

Living wrasse, a teleost (from Long,
2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Howqualepis rostidens, Late Devonian, Australia

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)
Polypterus, ray-finned fish from Africa (from
Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Cheirolepis, early actinopterygian (from

Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(from Long, 2011, The Rise of Fishes)

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Sarcopterygia - lobe-finned fish

Paraphyletic group of fishes that are
most closely related to tetrapods

Left: tooth plate of fossil lungfish Arganodus from Early Cretaceous of Africa. Right: Mouth
of living lungfish Neoceratodus forsteri showing tooth plates (from Long, 2011, The Rise of
Fishes)

Coelacanthus, living coelacanth (from Hans Fricke)

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

Protopterus, African lungfish (from Long, 2011, The Rise of

Fishes)
(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Timing of major fish events

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Scientific papers for further reading

Aldridge, R. J. and M. A. Purnell. 1996. The conodont controversies. TREE,
11: 463-468.
Carr, R.K. and G. L. Jackson, 2008. The vertebrate fauna of the Cleveland
Member (Famennian) of the Ohio Shale. Ohio Geological Survey Guidebook
22: 1-17.
Long, J.A., K. Trinajstic, G.C. Young, and T. Senden. 2008. Live birth in the
Devonian. Nature, 453: 650-653.
Sansom, R. S. 2009. Phylogeny, classification, and character polarity of the
Osteostraci (Vertebrata). Journal of Systematic Paleontology, 7: 95-115.

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University

(c) 2011, P. David Polly