Abstract
An isolated, articulated, but crushed ossified lung of a mawsoniid coelacanth is reported from uppermost Cretaceous (upper Maastrichtian) of Oued Zem, Morocco. The specimen is the last record of a coelacanth before their pseudo-extinction at the end of the Mesozoic. The specimen is also the first record of a marine coelacanth in the Mesozoic of Morocco and the first occurrence of coelacanths in the phospahte deposits of North Africa. The large size of the lung suggests a fish estimated at between 3.65 m and 5.52 m total body length.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 104768 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Cretaceous Research |
Volume | 122 |
Early online date | 23 Jan 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2021 |