New insights into Late Devonian vertebrates and associated fauna from the Cuche Formation (Floresta Massif, Colombia)

Sébastien Olive, Alan Pradel, Carlos Martinez-Pérez, Philippe Janvier, James C. Lamsdell, Pierre Gueriau, Nicolas Rabet, Philippe Duranleau-Gagnon, Andrés L. Cárdenas-Rozo, Paula A. Zapata Ramírez, Héctor Botella

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    Abstract

    New vertebrate remains are reported from the Late Devonian (?Frasnian) Cuche Formation of northeastern Colombia, including a new taxon of antiarch placoderm (Colombialepis villarroeli, gen. et sp. nov., previously reported as Asterolepis) and a new taxon of arthrodiran placoderm (Colombiaspis rinconensis, gen. et sp. nov.). We also report evidence of a stegotrachelid actinopterygian, a diplacanthid acanthodian (cf. Florestacanthus morenoi), a second antiarch placoderm (Bothriolepis sp.), a putative megalichthyid, and a putative tristichopterid. The absence of typical Euramerican markers, e.g., Asterolepis and Strepsodus, in this assemblage suggests that faunal interchange between Euramerica and Gondwana was less pronounced during the Frasnian–Famennian than previously thought (i.e., the Great Devonian Interchange hypothesis). Three arthropod taxa, including two families of spinicaudatan branchiopods and the eurypterid Pterygotus cf. bolivianus, are found to be associated with the reported vertebrate fauna. Pterygotus cf. bolivianus represents the first eurypterid described from Colombia and the youngest known pterygotid eurypterid, highlighting that pterygotids, which were competitors for large predatory fishes, did not go extinct during the major vertebrate radiation in the Early and Middle Devonian.

    Original languageEnglish
    Article numbere1620247
    JournalJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology
    Volume39
    Issue number3
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 4 May 2019

    Bibliographical note

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2019, © by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.

    Types Minciencias

    • Artículos de investigación con calidad A1 / Q1

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