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Melvius thomasi
Taxonomy
Melvius thomasi was named by Bryant (1988). Its type specimen is UCMP 129600, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is UCMP V83117, which is in a Maastrichtian terrestrial horizon in the Hell Creek Formation of Montana. It is the type species of Amia, Melvius.
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Melvius thomasi Bryant p. 349–350 |
| 1989 | Melvius thomasi Bryant p. 22 |
| 1998 | Melvius thomasi Grande and Bemis p. 397 |
| 2011 | Melvius thomasi Sullivan et al. p. 475 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
†Melvius thomasi Bryant 1988
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Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| L. J. Bryant 1988 | Very large amiid (standard length [tip of snout to base of caudal fin] may exceed 160 cm). Differs from all other known amiids in having central trunk vertebrae ventrolaterally concave, anterior maxilla circular in cross section. Deep pit for articulation of premaxilla overlapping the most anterior maxilla alveolus. Dentary with 14 teeth; horizontal ramus wider than deep. Cleithrum lacking sculpture, forming a 90 degree angle between dorsal and ventral arms. Basioccipital width more than twice its height. Differs from Enneles in having fused infraorbitals 4 and 5, and lacking the supramaxilla. Differs from all other amiids except Pachyamia and Enneles in having carinate teeth and alveoli with crenulated borders. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: s = species, o = order, subp = subphylum | |||||
| References: Carroll 1988, Hendy et al. 2009, Bryant 1989 | |||||
Age range: Lancian or 72.20000 to 66.00000 Ma
Collections (41 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancian | USA (North Dakota) | Melvius thomasi (14610 137705 137707 137715 137727 137728 137732) | |
| Lancian | USA (Wyoming) | Amia uintaensis (14514) Melvius thomasi (14519 14566 14577) Protamia sp. (14538 14626) | |
| Lancian | USA (Montana) | Amia sp. (14616) Melvius thomasi (14508 14516 14520 14525 14535 14548 14549 14568 14615 176689 192244) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (South Dakota) | Melvius thomasi (45390) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (Wyoming) | Melvius thomasi (14585) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (North Dakota) | Melvius thomasi (45099 45102 45111 45117 45118 45128 45133 45137 45143 45144 45145 45381) | |
| Late/Upper Maastrichtian | USA (Montana) | Melvius thomasi (type locality: 123683) | |
| Maastrichtian | USA (North Dakota) | Melvius thomasi (45313) |