A new stem-tetrapod fish from the Middle–Late Devonian of central Australia

Figures & data

FIGURE 1. Locality maps for the fossil material described in this work. A, the Amadeus Basin of central Australia. All fossils were collected from locality 6 (redrawn from figure 1 in Young, 1985). B, geological map of western MacDonnell Ranges, NT, showing locality 6 about 2 km southwest of Stokes Pass (redrawn from figure 6 in Young, 1985). Abbreviations: Pzk, Paleozoic.

FIGURE 2. Harajicadectes zhumini from the Harajica Sandstone Member (Givetian–Frasnian), Northern Territory, Australia, Holotype NTM P6410. A, photographed as a natural mold in situ as it was discovered in 2016; B, as a whitened latex peel; and C, interpretative drawing.

FIGURE 3. Harajicadectes zhumini, skulls in dorsal view, all whitened latex peels of the original fossil molds. A, photographs and B, drawings of NTM P6410 (holotype); C–D, CPC 39948 (paratype); E–F, NMVP 228722; G–H, AMF 99704.

FIGURE 4. Harajicadectes zhumini, snout, jaws, and palate. A, photograph and B, drawing of a fragment of the snout in left dorsolateral view, CPC 39949B. C, photograph and D, drawing of isolated mandible, NMVP 253964. E, left maxilla in mesial view, NMV P253965B. F, partial maxilla and lingual surface of the mandible, NMV P253965A. G, photograph, H, drawing, and I, attempted reconstruction of the palate, CPC 33949A.

FIGURE 5. Harajicadectes zhumini, body and fins. A, photograph and B, drawing of body scales, opercular-gular elements and pectoral girdle, NMVP 229368. C, squamation and D, lepidotrichia from the rear of the body, immediately anterior to the base of the caudal fin, CPC 39953. E–F, squamation from the anterior of the body with partial head, operculum, and pectoral fin, CPC 39952. G–H, mesial view of mid-body squamation with detached pectoral fin and basal scute, CPC 39954.

FIGURE 6. Harajicadectes zhumini. A, scales adjacent to the 2nd dorsal fin, CPC 39953. B, scales from the anterior half of the body, CPC 39952.

FIGURE 7. Harajicadectes zhumini. Reconstructed skull and pectoral girdle in A, dorsal and B, lateral view.

FIGURE 8. Proposed phylogenetic interrelationships among early Tetrapodomorpha incorporating new data from Harajicadectes, collated from 336 most parsimonious trees. A, strict consensus tree, numbers represent Bremer support values. B, 50% majority-rule consensus tree, numbers are node support bootstrap values.

Young, G. C. (1985). New discoveries of Devonian vertebrates from the Amadeus Basin, central Australia. BMR Journal of Australian Geology and Geophysics, 9, 239–254.

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