| Dipterus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fossil ofD. valenciennesi from Scotland | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Dipnoi |
| Family: | †Dipteridae |
| Genus: | †Dipterus Sedgwick & Murchison, 1828 |
| Type species | |
| Dipterus valenciennesi Sedgwick & Murchison, 1828 | |
| Other species[1] | |
| |
Dipterus (fromGreek:δίςdís, 'two' andGreek:πτερόνpteron 'wing')[2] is an extinct genus of marinelungfish from the middleDevonian period of Europe and potentially North America. The genus was established byAdam Sedgwick &Roderick Murchison in the year 1828. It was one of the first lungfish to be described by science.
In most respects,Dipterus, which was about 35 centimetres (14 in) long, closely resembled modern lungfish. Like its ancestorDipnorhynchus, it hadtooth-like plates on itspalate instead of real teeth. However, unlike its modern relatives, in which thedorsal,caudal, andanal fin are fused into one,Dipterus's fins were still separated.[3]
The following species are known:[4][5]
Many other species from Europe and North America have also been described based on isolated tooth plates, though due to their fragmentary nature, their exact taxonomic affinity is uncertain.[4][5]
