Marsdenichthys facts for kids

Marsdenichthys is an extinct type of fish that lived a very long time ago. It belonged to a group called tetrapodomorphs. These were special fish that were related to the first animals that began to walk on land.

Fossils of Marsdenichthys have been discovered in Victoria, Australia. They were found at a place called Mount Howitt. The rocks where these fossils were found date back to the Devonian Period. Mount Howitt is an important site. Many other tetrapodomorph fossils have been found there. These include Beelarongia and Howittichthys.

Specimens of Marsdenichthys have been found from Mount Howitt.

Scientists first named Marsdenichthys in 1985. They found its fossils at Mount Howitt. At first, they thought it was part of a fish family called Tristichopteridae. This was the first time a fish from this family was found in the Southern Hemisphere. However, where Marsdenichthys fits in the fish family tree has been a big debate. Scientists are still working to figure out its exact relationships.

Understanding Marsdenichthys

When Marsdenichthys was first described, scientists thought it was a very early member of the Tristichopteridae family. They looked at its bones and scales to decide this. For example, it had special bones near its skull. It also had rounded scales with a unique bump inside.

At the time, scientists thought these scale features were only found in Tristichopterids. But later, other ancient fish were found with similar scales. These fish were not part of the Tristichopteridae family. Some examples include Medoevia, Canowindra, and Rhizodopsis. This made the classification of Marsdenichthys more complicated.

Where Does It Belong?

In 1999, based on its scale patterns, Marsdenichthys was placed in a different family called Rhizodopsidae. However, studies that tried to map out the family tree of these fish had different results. Some studies placed Marsdenichthys close to Eusthenopteron. Others showed it in a less clear position, meaning its exact relatives were still unknown.

One reason for this confusion is that the first fossils of Marsdenichthys from Mount Howitt were not complete. This made it hard to find enough unique features to classify it clearly. But in 2010, new specimens were found at Mount Howitt. These new fossils showed more parts of the fish, especially its cheek and mouth area. These new details could help scientists understand its relationships better.

However, the scientists who found these new fossils did not create a new family tree study right away. So, the exact classification of Marsdenichthys is still a puzzle. Scientists continue to study these ancient fish to understand how they are all connected.