Abstract
THE first description of Anatolepis Bockelie & Fortey was from early Ordovician sediments of Ny Friesland, Spitsbergen1,2, but the genus is now known from many localities in North America and Greenland, ranging in age from the Late Cambrian period to the Early Ordovician3–6. Although initially interpreted as an agnathan fish2,3 that predated other representatives7, this has been widely disputed because the available histological data were unconvincing6,8–10 and the scales fell outside the known morpho-logical range of other accepted early vertebrates9–11. Further doubt was cast upon the vertebrate affinity of Anatolepis when specimens from East Greenland were interpreted as the cuticular fragments of aglaspid arthropods6, although this interpretation has also been refuted12. Here we report on the morphology and histology of large collections of Anatolepis, and demonstrate the presence of dentine, a tissue unique to vertebrates, confirming that the taxon is both a vertebrate and the oldest known fish.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bockelie, T. G., Bruton, D. L. & Fortey, R. A. Norsk Polarinst. Årbok 1975, 214–215 (1976).
Bockelie, T. G. & Fortey, R. A. Nature 260, 36–38 (1976).
Fortey, R. A., Landing, E. & Skevington, D. in The Cambrian-Ordovician Boundary: Sections, Fossil Distributions, and Correlations (eds Bassett, M. G. & Dean, W. T.) 95–129 (National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, 1982).
Repetski, J. E. Science 200, 529–531 (1978).
Peel, J. S. & Higgins, A. K. Rapp. Grønlandsgeol. Unders. 85, 108–109 (1977).
Peel, J. S. Rapp. Grønlands geol. Unders. 91, 111–115 (1979).
Ritchie, A. & Gilbert-Thomlinson, J. Alcheringa 1, 351–368 (1977).
Ørvig, T. Zool. Scripta 18, 427–446 (1989).
Elliott, D. K., Blieck, A. R. M. & Gagnier, P.-Y. in Advances in Ordovician Geology (eds Barnes, C. R. & Williams, S. H.) 93–106 (Geological Survey of Canada, 1991).
Blieck, A. Geobios 25, 101–113 (1992).
Halstead, L. B. in The Fossil Record 2 (ed. Benton, M. J.) 573–581 (Chapman & Hall, London, 1993).
Briggs, D. E. G. & Fortey, R. A. Lethaia 15, 25–29 (1982).
Janvier, P. J. vert. Paleont. 1, 121–159 (1981).
Teigler, D. J. & Towe, K. M. Fossils Strata 4, 137–149 (1975).
Dalingwater, J. E. Fossils Strata 4, 271–279 (1975).
Dalingwater, J. E., Hutchinson, S. J., Mutvei, H. & Siveter, D. J. Palaeontograph. Abt. A 229, 37–49 (1993).
Sire, J.-Y. J. Morph. 215, 225–244 (1993).
Forey, P. & Janvier, P. Nature 361, 129–134 (1993).
Forey, P. & Janvier, P. Am. Scient. 82, 554–565 (1994).
Aldridge, R. J., Briggs, D. E. G., Smith, M. P., Clarkson, E. N. K. & Clark, N. D. L. Phil.Trans.R.Soc.Lond. B 338, 405–421 (1993).
Sansom, I. J., Smith, M. P., Armstrong, H. A. & Smith, M. M. Science 256, 1308–1311 (1992).
Sansom, I. J., Smith, M. P. & Smith, M. M. Nature 368, 591 (1994).
Janvier, P. Nature 374, 761–762 (1995).
Sansom, I. J., Smith, M. P., Smith, M. M. & Turner, P. Geobios Mém. Spéc. 19, 57–59 (1995).
Sansom, I. J., Smith, M. M. & Smith, M. P. Nature 379, 628–630 (1996).
Albanesi, G. L., Benedetto, J. L. & Gagnier, P.-Y. Bol. Acad. Nac. Ciencias (Cordoba) 60, 519–543 (1995).
Karatajūté-Talimaa, V. Modern Geol. (in the press).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Smith, M., Sansom, I. & Repetski, J. Histology of the first fish. Nature 380, 702–704 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1038/380702a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/380702a0
This article is cited by
-
Facts and fancies about early fossil chordates and vertebrates
Nature (2015)
-
Catching the first fish
Nature (1999)
-
How to keep a head in order
Nature (1997)
-
A possible Late Cambrian vertebrate from Australia
Nature (1996)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
