Scientists say that this ancient species reshapes the timeline of fish evolution.
The acanthodians, also known as the "spiny sharks," boasted streamlined, shark-shaped bodies, which were covered with bony armor. And, in contrast to their modern shark descendants, the acanthodians also possessed several pairs of stiff spines that supported their fins.an ancient fish with seemingly similar sets of armor and spinesreveals that the 439-million-year-old specimen is the oldest acanthodian, predating all other spiny shark body fossils by about 15 million years.
"The new discovery puts into question existing models of vertebrate evolution by significantly condensing the timeframe for the emergence of jawed fish from their closest jawless ancestors," says study author Ivan Sansom from the University of Birmingham, in aF. renovatain a site in South China.
The team realized that the specimen's spines closely mimicked those of an already identified class of spiny sharks called climatiids. This realization finally allowed the researchers to placeUltimately, the team concludes that the finding is crucial for understanding the origins and development of acanthodians, jawed fish and all other jawed vertebrates, including humans.
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