Biology:Tetrapodomorpha

Tetrapodomorpha Temporal range: Early Devonian–Present, 409–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
The advanced tetrapodomorph Tiktaalik
Modern tetrapods
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Clade:	Rhipidistia
Clade:	Tetrapodomorpha Ahlberg, 1991
Subgroups
†Kenichthys †Tungsenia Choanata †Rhizodontida †"Osteolepidida" †Tristichopteridae Elpistostegalia Stegocephalia Tetrapoda See also below.

Short description: Clade of vertebrates

The Tetrapodomorpha (also known as Choanata) are a clade of vertebrates consisting of tetrapods (four-limbed vertebrates) and their closest sarcopterygian relatives that are more closely related to living tetrapods than to living lungfish. Advanced forms transitional between fish and the early labyrinthodonts, such as Tiktaalik, have been referred to as "fishapods" by their discoverers, being half-fish, half-tetrapods, in appearance and limb morphology. The Tetrapodomorpha contains the crown group tetrapods (the last common ancestor of living tetrapods and all of its descendants) and several groups of early stem tetrapods, which includes several groups of related lobe-finned fishes, collectively known as the osteolepiforms. The Tetrapodomorpha minus the crown group Tetrapoda are the stem Tetrapoda, a paraphyletic unit encompassing the fish to tetrapod transition.

Among the characteristics defining tetrapodomorphs are modifications to the fins, notably a humerus with convex head articulating with the glenoid fossa (the socket of the shoulder joint). Another key trait is the internal nostril or choana. Most fish have two pairs of nostrils, one on either side of the head for incoming water (incurrent nostrils) and another pair for outgoing water (excurrent nostrils). In early tetrapodomorphs like Kenichthys, the excurrent nostrils had shifted towards the mouth's perimeter. In later tetrapodomorphs, including tetrapods, the excurrent nostril is positioned inside the mouth, where it is known as the choana. The nearly-equivalent clade Choanata often refers to these later forms specifically.

Tetrapodomorph fossils are known from the early Devonian onwards, and include Osteolepis, Panderichthys, Kenichthys and Tungsenia.

Classification

In Late Devonian vertebrate speciation, descendants of pelagic lobe-finned fish.

The exact shape of the phylogenetic tree is uncertain with Zachelmie tetrapod tracks predating most tetrapodomorph fossils

Taxonomy

After Benton, 2004; and Swartz, 2012.

• Subclass Sarcopterygii

• Infraclass Tetrapodomorpha

• Order †Rhizodontida

• Family †Sauripteridae
• Family †Rhizodontidae

• Superorder †Osteolepidida (or Osteolepiformes)

• Family †Canowindridae
• Family †Thysanolepidae
• Family †Tristichopteridae

• Order †Osteolepiformes (or Megalichthyiformes)

• Family †Osteolepidae
• Family †Megalichthyidae

• Clade Eotetrapodiformes

• Clade Elpistostegalia (or Panderichthyida)

• Clade Stegocephalia

• Family †Elpistostegidae
• Family †Whatcheeriidae
• Family †Colosteidae
• Superfamily †Baphetoidea
• Superclass Tetrapoda

Other clades include the Eotetrapodiformes (Tinirau, Platycephalichthys, the Tristichopteridae and Elpistostegalia). Older taxa which include late stem tetrapods and early tetrapods are the Labyrinthodontia and Ichthyostegalia.

Relationships

The cladogram is based on a phylogenetic analysis of 46 taxa using 204 characters by B. Swartz in 2012.

Tetrapodomorpha

†Kenichthys       †Rhizodontidae       †Canowindridae   †Marsdenichthys       †Canowindra       †Koharalepis     †Beelarongia             †Megalichthyiformes   †Gogonasus       †Gyroptychius       †Osteolepis       †Medoevia     †Megalichthyidae           Eotetrapodiformes †Tristichopteridae   †Spodichthys       †Tristichopterus       †Eusthenopteron       †Jarvikina       †Cabonnichthys       †Mandageria     †Eusthenodon                   †Tinirau       †Platycephalichthys   Elpistostegalia   †Panderichthys         †Tiktaalik     †Elpistostege         †Elginerpeton       †Ventastega       †Acanthostega       †Ichthyostega       †Whatcheeriidae       †Colosteidae       †Crassigyrinus       †Baphetidae     Tetrapoda (crown group)

The following cladogram follows the results found by Clement et al. (2021).

	Dipnomorpha
Tetrapodomorpha	Kenichthys       Tungsenia     Rhizodontida   Hongyu       Gooloogongia       Sauripterus     Barameda       Screbinodus       Rhizodus     Strepsodus               Osteolepidida   Gyroptychius     Osteolepis       Gogonasus     Medoevia       Megalichthyidae   Canowindridae   Beelarongia       Canowindra     Koharalepis                 Marsdenichthys       Spodichthys       Tristichopterus       Eusthenopteron       Jarvikina         Cabonnichthys       Platycephalichthys       Mandageria     Eusthenodon             Tinirau       Bruehnopteron       Panderichthys       Tiktaalik       Elpistostege   Tetrapoda   Ventastega       Acanthostega       Ichthyostega     Tulerpeton

References

• Mikko Haaramo. "Tetrapodomorpha – Terrestrial vertebrate-like sarcopterygians". http://www.fmnh.helsinki.fi/users/haaramo/Metazoa/Deuterostoma/Chordata/sarcopterygii/tetrapodomorpha.htm. 
• P. E. Ahlberg; Z. Johanson (1998). "Osteolepiforms and the ancestry of tetrapods". Nature 395 (6704): 792–794. doi:10.1038/27421. Bibcode: 1998Natur.395..792A. 
• Michel Laurin, Marc Girondot; Armand de Ricqlès (2000). "Early tetrapod evolution". TREE 15 (3). http://www.ese.u-psud.fr/epc/conservation/Publi/abstracta/AE_TREE2000.pdf. 

Wikidata ☰ Q1209254 entry