Mandageria

Mandageria fairfaxi (Pronunciation: Man-daj-ee-ree-a fair-fax-i) is an extinct lobe-finned fish[1] that lived during the Late Devonian period (Frasnian – Famennian). It is related to the much larger Hyneria; although Mandageria was smaller, it probably hunted in the same way.

Mandageria
Temporal range: Late Devonian
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Eotetrapodiformes
Family: †Tristichopteridae
Genus: †Mandageria
Johanson & Ahlberg, 1997
Species:
†M. fairfaxi
Binomial name
†Mandageria fairfaxi
Johanson & Ahlberg, 1997

The generic epithet, Mandageria, refers to the Mandagery Sandstone, outcropping near Canowindra, Australia, where the fossils were found. The specific epithet, fairfaxi, honors the philanthropist James Fairfax. M. fairfaxi is the state fossil emblem for New South Wales.[2]

Description

Mandageria was a large predator about 1.5 to 2 m (4.9 to 6.6 ft) long. It had a long torpedo-shaped body and large tail fins. Mandageria also had large pectoral fins which could have helped it manoeuvre around submerged logs when preparing to attack its prey.[1] Mandageria had a functional neck joint, an otherwise uncommon feature among fish - Tiktaalik, Tarrasius, placoderms (esp. Arthrodira) and seahorses being other exceptions.[3]

References
  1. Age of Fishes Museum, Canowindra
  2. "NSW State Flag & Emblems". NSW Government. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2015.
  3. Johanson, Z., Ahlberg, P. and Ritchie, A. (March 2003). "The braincase and palate of the tetrapodomorph sarcopterygian mandageria fairfaxi: morphological variability near the fish–tetrapod transition". Palaeontology. 46 (2): 271–293. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00298.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)


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