A Late Devonian coelacanth reconfigures actinistian phylogeny, disparity, and 
evolutionary dynamics

Clement, Alice M.; Cloutier, Richard; Lee, Michael S. Y.; King, Benedict; Vanhaesebroucke, Olivia; Bradshaw, Corey J. A.; Dutel, Hugo; Trinajstic, Kate; Long, John A.

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51238-4

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A Late Devonian coelacanth reconfigures actinistian phylogeny, disparity, and evolutionary dynamics

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King, Benedict
COOL, Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Clement, A. M., Cloutier, R., Lee, M. S. Y., King, B., Vanhaesebroucke, O., Bradshaw, C. J. A., et al. (2024). A Late Devonian coelacanth reconfigures actinistian phylogeny, disparity, and evolutionary dynamics. Nature Communications, 15(1): 7529. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-51238-4.

Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-000F-E051-8

Abstract

The living coelacanth Latimeria (Sarcopterygii: Actinistia) is an iconic, so-called ‘living fossil’ within one of the most apparently morphologically conservative vertebrate groups. We describe a new, 3-D preserved coelacanth from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation in Western Australia. We assemble a comprehensive analysis of the group to assess the phylogeny, evolutionary rates, and morphological disparity of all coelacanths. We reveal a major shift in morphological disparity between Devonian and post-Devonian coelacanths. The newly described fossil fish fills a critical transitional stage in coelacanth disparity and evolution. Since the mid-Cretaceous, discrete character changes (representing major morphological innovations) have essentially ceased, while meristic and continuous characters have continued to evolve within coelacanths. Considering a range of putative environmental drivers, tectonic activity best explains variation in the rates of coelacanth evolution. © The Author(s) 2024.