A rendering of Daemodontiscus harrisae. Courtesy/NMMNHS
NMMNHS News:
ALBUQUERQUE — A new genus and species of ’demon-toothed’ prehistoric fish that lived more than 300 million years ago was uncovered in Socorro County by a research associate from the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science.
In December, a paper published in ‘Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan’ identifies the newly discovered genus and species as Daemodontiscus harrisae. The full paper is available here.
The new genus and species was named for New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science (NMMNHS) Research Associate Susan Harris, who uncovered the partial skull fossil of the new genus and species in the badlands of northern Socorro County. NMMNHS Paleontology Curator Dr. Spencer Lucas was an author on the paper identifying the fossil as belonging to a new genus and species, alongside lead author Matt Friedman and co-authors Rodrigo Tinoco Figueroa, John-Paul M. Hodnett, Robert R. Higgins, Stephanie Pierce, and Sam Giles. The skull fossil of the new fish will be on display in the museum’s new Bradbury Stamm Construction Ancient Life Hall, an exhibit showcasing the oldest multicellular life in New Mexico, slated to open to the public next month.
“Daemodontiscus is a perfect example of the type of stories we’re interested in telling in Ancient Life,” NMMNHS Executive Director Dr. Anthony Fiorillo said. “This discovery not only showcases the wide range of lifeforms that lived in what’s now New Mexico during the Paleozoic Era, but it also paves the way for additional research on this little-known group of ray-finned fish that is broadly related to our modern bony fishes.”
Scientists identified Daemodontiscus as a large, 3 to 4-foot, ray-finned fish that lived during the Late Pennsylvanian period, roughly 305 million years ago. During this period, the land now known as New Mexico was an archipelago of tropical islands and shallow seas near the equator. With variable sea levels during this period, the Pennsylvanian rocks in New Mexico include one of the most complete fossil records of its type, hosting a wide variety of marine and non-marine fossils from this period. Many of these fossils will be on view in Ancient Life.
“Finding the fossil fish skull in a dry desert made the lost tropical world of the Paleozoic very real to me,” NMMNHS Research Associate Susan Harris said.
Bony fish like Daemodontiscus were common during this period, but the paper identifies several features – including the presence of large, well-spaced fangs at various parts of its jaw – that distinguish it from other fish in the sea. The many large fangs and teeth present on the jaw inspired the name ‘Daemodontiscus,’ meaning ‘demon-toothed fish.’ To help identify it as a new genus and species, researchers utilized micro-computed tomography in order to create a three-dimensional image of the skull. A 3D rendering of the fossil can be viewed online here.
Despite the abundance of similar fish from this time period, there is much scientists still don’t know about Daemodontiscus and other bony, fanged fish from this period. For that reason, researchers are hopeful that the discovery of Daemodontiscus will play an important role in improving our understanding of these unique creatures.
About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Trustees of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History Foundation, through the generous support of donors. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs, and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience, and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater.
This post was originally published on here
