Gogonasus

Name: Gogonasus ‭(‬Gogo snout‭)‬.
Phonetic: Go-go-na-sus.
Named By: John A.‭ ‬Long‭ ‬-‭ ‬1985.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Sarcopterygii,‭ ‬Tetrapodomorpha,‭ ‬Osteolepidida.
Species: G.‭ ‬andrewsae‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore/Piscivore.
Size: Around‭ ‬30-40‭ ‬centimetres long.
Known locations: Australia‭ ‬-‭ ‬Gogo Formation.
Time period: Frasnian of the Devonian.
Fossil representation: Several individuals,‭ ‬the best preserved being almost complete and uncrushed.




       Gogonasus was first named in‭ ‬1985‭ ‬from a single preserved snout,‭ ‬but since this time better and better specimens have been recovered,‭ ‬with several skulls,‭ ‬and a complete three dimensionally preserved individual discovered in‭ ‬2005‭ (‬another example of how the Gogo Formation of Australia is yielding exquisitely well preserved fossils‭)‬.‭ ‬Gogonasus is thought to be a relative of Osteolepis,‭ ‬though beyond this,‭ ‬Gogonasus is also thought to be a good example of the early fish that began to develop anatomical features that would one day enable fish to walk out of the water for life on land‭ (‬to clarify this is not intended to say that Gogonasus was‭ ‘‬the‭’‬ missing link,‭ ‬merely‭ ‬that it was of another transitional form present in a wider evolutionary trend‭)‬.‭

Further reading
-‭ ‬A new osteolepidid fish from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation of Western Australia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Records of the Western Australian Museum‭ ‬12,‭ ‬361‭–‬377.‭ ‬-‭ ‬John A.‭ ‬Long‭ ‬-‭ ‬1985.
-‭ ‬Osteology and functional morphology of the osteolepiform fish Gogonasus Long,‭ ‬1985,‭ ‬from the Upper Devonian Gogo Formation,‭ ‬Western Australia.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement‭ ‬57,‭ ‬1‭–‬89.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Long,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Barwick,‭ ‬K.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Campbelkl‭ ‬-‭ ‬1997.
-‭ ‬An exceptional Devonian fish from Australia sheds light on tetrapod origins.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Nature‭ ‬444,‭ ‬199-202.‭ ‬-‭ ‬John A.‭ ‬Long,‭ ‬Gavin C.‭ ‬Young,‭ ‬Tim Holland,‭ ‬Tim J.‭ ‬Senden‭ & ‬Erich M.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬Fitzgerald‭ ‬-‭ ‬2006.



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