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Hyneria
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<h2 id="etymology">Etymology</h2> <p>The genus name <i>Hyneria</i> is a reference to the village of <a href="/facts/Hyner%2c_Pennsylvania/I0C9oVG9">Hyner, Pennsylvania</a>, near where the first specimen was found. The species <a href="/facts/Epithet/uUQxrjCC">epithet</a> <i>H. lindae</i> is derived from the name of the wife of Keith Stewart Thomson, who described this fish.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="description">Description</h2> <p><i>Hyneria</i> was a large fish. <i>H. lindae</i> is estimated around 2.5–3 metres (8.2–9.8 ft) in total length.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> An isolated <a href="/facts/Cleithrum/gxXfwnAr">cleithrum</a> AM 6545 likely belongs to an individual of at least 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) in length.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> The largest complete jaw reaches 38 centimetres (15 in), but there is much larger fragment possibly from a jaw about twice that length, although that specimen may belong to a <a href="/facts/Rhizodontida/jXWxXGz2">rhizodont</a> instead.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> Assuming this jaw fragment does pertain to <i>Hyneria</i>, and assuming proportions similar to more complete <a href="/facts/Tristichopteridae/5tRmcG3m">tristichopterids</a>, it suggests <i>H. lindae</i> could possibly reach lengths up to 3.5 metres (11 ft).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> A second species, <i>H. udlezinye</i>, was once estimated as having a length of between 2 and 4 metres (6.6 and 13.1 ft) before being described.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> However, the species description estimates that the largest specimen belongs to an animal about 3 metres (9.8 ft).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> Its skull had heavy, ornamented dermal bones and its lower jaw was relatively long and shallow. The teeth were stout, with those of the <a href="/facts/Premaxilla/82BL4FgY">premaxilla</a> forming fangs upwards of 5 cm (2 in).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> Its body was covered by <a href="/facts/Fish_scales/MS2brwuo">cycloid</a> scales.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> It had large sensory canals to aid in detection of possible prey, as the freshwater environment it inhabited likely was murky and had low visibility.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> Adult individuals retained juvenile features (i.e. partially unossified skeletons), suggesting that they were likely <a href="/facts/Neotenic/t8hK3CIv">neotenic</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="discovery">Discovery</h2> <p>The original fossils came from two localities in Pennsylvania, United States, one found between the villages of North Bend and Hyner and another near <a href="/facts/Emporium%2c_Pennsylvania/S72pW8XK">Emporium</a>. They consisted of a disarticulated partial skull and fragments of the shoulder girdle.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> The fossils were found in the <a href="/facts/Catskill_Formation/Xal0o0Gp">Catskill Formation</a> of the Red Hill Shale, dating to the upper <a href="/facts/Devonian/nWgakqzk">Devonian</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> These were the only remains known until 1993 when a renewed collecting effort discovered abundant new material.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a> <i>Hyneria</i> is considered the largest and most common lobe-finned fish found in the Red Hill Shale.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> In February 2023 a second species of <i>Hyneria</i>, <i>H. udlezinye</i>, was named from remains discovered in the <a href="/facts/Waterloo_Farm_lagerst%25C3%25A4tte/Jl4bQYzJ">Waterloo Farm lagerstätte</a>. These remains include the skull and shoulder girdle.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.devoniantimes.org/who/pages/hyneria.html"><i>Hyneria</i></a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080511144000/http://www.devoniantimes.org/who/pages/hyneria.html">Archived</a> 2008-05-11 at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a> at <i>Devonian Times</i></li></ul> <ul> <li>Paleontology portal</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Daeschler, EB; Shubin, NH (2007). "New data on Hyneria lindae (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Late Devonian of Pennsylvania, USA". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (S3). doi:10.1080/02724634.2007.10010458. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Gess, Robert W.; Ahlberg, Per E. (2023-02-22). "A high latitude Gondwanan species of the Late Devonian tristichopterid Hyneria (Osteichthyes: Sarcopterygii)". PLOS ONE. 18 (2): e0281333. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1881333G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0281333. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 9946258. PMID 36812170. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Thomson, K. S. (1968). "A new Devonian fish (Crossopterygii: Rhipidistia) considered in relation to the origin of the Amphibia". Postilla. 124. <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Thomson, K. S. (1968). "A new Devonian fish (Crossopterygii: Rhipidistia) considered in relation to the origin of the Amphibia". Postilla. 124. <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Daeschler, Edward B.; Downs, Jason P. (2018-05-04). "New description and diagnosis of Hyneria lindae (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Upper Devonian Catskill Formation in Pennsylvania, U.S.A." Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 38 (3): e1448834. Bibcode:2018JVPal..38E8834D. doi:10.1080/02724634.2018.1448834. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 89661336. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2018.1448834" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2018.1448834</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Gess, Robert W.; Ahlberg, Per E. (2023-02-22). "A high latitude Gondwanan species of the Late Devonian tristichopterid Hyneria (Osteichthyes: Sarcopterygii)". PLOS ONE. 18 (2): e0281333. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1881333G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0281333. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 9946258. PMID 36812170. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Young, Ben; Dunstone, Robert L.; Senden, Timothy J.; Young, Gavin C. (2013-03-06). "A Gigantic Sarcopterygian (Tetrapodomorph Lobe-Finned Fish) from the Upper Devonian of Gondwana (Eden, New South Wales, Australia)". PLOS ONE. 8 (3): e53871. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...853871Y. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0053871. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3590215. PMID 23483884. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590215" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3590215</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Engelman, Russell K. (March 2023). "A Devonian Fish Tale: A New Method of Body Length Estimation Suggests Much Smaller Sizes for Dunkleosteus terrelli (Placodermi: Arthrodira)". Diversity. 15 (3): 318. doi:10.3390/d15030318. ISSN 1424-2818. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fd15030318" target="_blank">https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fd15030318</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Gess, R.W.; Whitfield, A.K. (2020). "Estuarine fish and tetrapod evolution: insights from a Late Devonian (Famennian) Gondwanan estuarine lake and a southern African Holocene equivalent". Biological Reviews. 95 (4): 865–888. doi:10.1111/brv.12590. PMID 32059074. S2CID 211122587. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339279463" target="_blank">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339279463</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Gess, Robert W.; Ahlberg, Per E. (2023-02-22). "A high latitude Gondwanan species of the Late Devonian tristichopterid Hyneria (Osteichthyes: Sarcopterygii)". PLOS ONE. 18 (2): e0281333. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1881333G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0281333. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 9946258. PMID 36812170. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Thomson, K. S. (1968). "A new Devonian fish (Crossopterygii: Rhipidistia) considered in relation to the origin of the Amphibia". Postilla. 124. <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Daeschler, EB; Shubin, NH (2007). "New data on Hyneria lindae (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Late Devonian of Pennsylvania, USA". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (S3). doi:10.1080/02724634.2007.10010458. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Daeschler, EB; Shubin, NH (2007). "New data on Hyneria lindae (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Late Devonian of Pennsylvania, USA". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (S3). doi:10.1080/02724634.2007.10010458. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"25 years of fossil collecting yields clearest picture of extinct 12-foot aquatic predator". ScienceDaily. 7 May 2018. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180507153124.htm" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180507153124.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"25 years of fossil collecting yields clearest picture of extinct 12-foot aquatic predator". ScienceDaily. 7 May 2018. <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180507153124.htm" target="_blank">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180507153124.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Kamska, V.; Daeschler, E.B.; Downs, J.P.; Ahlberg, P.E.; Tafforeau, P.; Sanchez, S. (2019). "Long-bone development and life-history traits of the Devonian tristichopterid Hyneria lindae". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 109 (1–2). Cambridge University Press: 75–86. doi:10.1017/S175569101800083X. ISSN 1755-6910. S2CID 134090370. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329371242" target="_blank">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329371242</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Thomson, K. S. (1968). "A new Devonian fish (Crossopterygii: Rhipidistia) considered in relation to the origin of the Amphibia". Postilla. 124. <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Daeschler, EB; Shubin, NH (2007). "New data on Hyneria lindae (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Late Devonian of Pennsylvania, USA". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (S3). doi:10.1080/02724634.2007.10010458. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>Daeschler, EB; Shubin, NH (2007). "New data on Hyneria lindae (Sarcopterygii, Tristichopteridae) from the Late Devonian of Pennsylvania, USA". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (S3). doi:10.1080/02724634.2007.10010458. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"The Missing Link". Nova. Season 29. Boston. February 26, 2002. PBS. Transcript: "The Missing Link". <a href="/wiki/Nova_(American_TV_series)" target="_blank">/wiki/Nova_(American_TV_series)</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>Gess, Robert W.; Ahlberg, Per E. (2023-02-22). "A high latitude Gondwanan species of the Late Devonian tristichopterid Hyneria (Osteichthyes: Sarcopterygii)". PLOS ONE. 18 (2): e0281333. Bibcode:2023PLoSO..1881333G. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0281333. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 9946258. PMID 36812170. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9946258</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>