Scientific Illustration

Shuyu zhejiangensis, Silurian of Zhejiang, China

f, Restoration of external morphology. g, Synthetic restoration. ac.v, anterior cerebral vein; ae.a, anterior ethmoidal artery; br.f, branchial fossa; dn.a, dorsal nasal artery; ebr.a, efferent branchial artery; et.r, ethmoid rod; fr.a, frontal artery; hy.a, hypophyseal artery; hy.d, hypophyseal or buccohypophyseal duct; hy.r, hypophyseal recess; ic.a, internal carotid artery; na, nasal sacs; no, nostril; olf.b, olfactory bulb; olf.t, olfactory tract; on.a, orbitonasal artery; on.v, orbitonasal vein; oph.a, ophthalmic artery; orb, orbital opening; pe.a, posterior ethmoidal artery; pi, pineal organ; ter, terminal nerve; vcl, lateral head vein or dorsal jugular vein; I, II, III, V0, V1, V0,1, V2,3, VII, olfactory (I), optic (II), oculomotor (III), superficial ophthalmic (V0), profundus (V1), superficial ophthalmic plus profundus (V0,1), maxillomandibular (V2,3) of trigeminal (V), and facial (VII) nerves. Scale bars, 2 mm.

From: Fossil jawless fish from China foreshadows early jawed vertebrate anatomy

Zhikun Gai, Philip C. J. Donoghue, Min Zhu, Philippe Janvier & Marco Stampanoni

Nature 476, 324–327 (18 August 2011) doi:10.1038/nature10276

paleoillustration:

Guiyu oneiros by Brian Choo:

“Depending on how you tweak the character matrix, Guiyu is either a very primitive sarcopterygian (lobe-finned fish) or a stem-group osteichthyan from before the lobe-fin/ray-fin split. The fossils of this fish are the paleontological equivalent of the Rosetta stone” (..) Continues here

Life restoration of Guiyu oneiros from the Kuanti Formation (Late Ludlow, Silurian), Qujing, Yunnan, China.

Zhu M, Yu X, Choo B, Qu Q, Jia L, et al. (2012) Fossil Fishes from China Provide First Evidence of Dermal Pelvic Girdles in Osteichthyans. PLoS ONE 7(4): e35103. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0035103

paleoillustration:

Guiyu oneiros by Brian Choo:

“Depending on how you tweak the character matrix, Guiyu is either a very primitive sarcopterygian (lobe-finned fish) or a stem-group osteichthyan from before the lobe-fin/ray-fin split. The fossils of this fish are the paleontological equivalent of the Rosetta stone” (..) Continues here