Morphology and phylogenetic relationships of †Kuntulunia (Teleostei: Osteoglossomorpha)

ABSTRACT

The morphology of †Kuntulunia is reviewed based mainly on well preserved specimens from Madongshan Formation of Liupanshan Group, Ningxia province. Some anatomical features of †Kuntulunia are revised, and the basisphenoid, basioccipital, exoccipital, autosphenotic, palatine, sclerotic bone, postcleithrum and separated third and fourth ural centra are described for the first time. A smooth bone lying anteriorly to the maxilla is named the antemaxilla.

A cladistic investigation of the phylogenetic relationships was performed on nine Chinese fossil osteoglossomorph genera (†Huashia, †Kuyangichthys, †Jinanichthys, †Jiuquanichthys, †Kuntulunia, †Lycoptera, †Paralycoptera, †Sinoglossus, and †Yanbiania), four living osteoglossomorphs (Heterotis, Hiodon, Notopterus, and Osteoglossus), three clupeomorphs (†Diplomystus, Denticepus, and Coilia) and several euteleosts (†Rubiesichthys, Chanos, Opsariichthys, Thymallus, Esox, and Coregonus). Characters were polarized by comparison to the following outgroups: †Allothrissops, †Anaethalion, †Leptolepides, and †Tharsis. On the basis of 67 morphological characters, fifteen shortest trees (183 steps, CI = 0.454) were obtained by using the Heuristic search of PAUP program (version 3.1.1). The results of this analysis show that †Kuntulunia is the sister group of †Huashia among the osteoglossomorphs examined and that the Osteoglossomorpha is a monophyletic group.