Cosmolepis Temporal range:
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Family: | †Cosmolepididae Gardiner, 1967 |
Genus: | †Cosmolepis Egerton, 1855 |
Species: | †C. ornatus
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Binomial name | |
†Cosmolepis ornatus Egerton, 1858
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Synonyms | |
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Cosmolepis is an extinct genus of prehistoric marine ray-finned fish that lived during the Early Jurassic epoch.[2] It contains a single species, C. ornatus from the Blue Lias in what is now England. It is the only member of the family Cosmolepididae.[1][3]
It was formerly placed in the Palaeonisciformes, a group of basal ray-finned fishes that is now considered to be paraphyletic.[4][5] It is distinctive for its well-mineralized scales covered in ganoine. Its cheek and jaws have striated ridges of enamel.[6]
Specimens from the Moltrasio Formation of Osteno, Italy have been placed in this species based on non-reliable morphological features common among many "palaeoniscoid" fish, and thus may not be representatives of this taxon.[7]