Scythes, sickles and other blades: defining the diversity of pectoral fin morphotypes in Pachycormiformes
Resource type
Journal article
Creator (person)
Liston, Jeff
Date published
November 7, 2019
Abstract
The traditional terminology of ‘scythe’ or ‘sickle’ shaped is observed to be flawed as an effective descriptor for pectoral fin shape in pachycormids. The diversity of pachycormid pectoral fin shapes is assessed across the 14 recognised genera that preserve complete pectoral fins, and improved terms are defined to more effectively describe their form, supported by anatomical observation and aspect ratio analysis of individual fins, and corroborated by landmark analysis. Three clear and distinct pectoral fin structural morphotypes emerge (falceform, gladiform, falcataform), reflecting a diversity of pachycormid lifestyles throughout the Mesozoic, from agile pursuit predator to slow-cruising suspension feeder.
Journal title
PeerJ
Volume
7
Article number
e7675
Publisher
PeerJ
Place of publication
London, UK
eISSN
2167-8359
Official URL
Rights statement
In Copyright
Additional information
Full text available via the official URL