Megapiranha
| Megapiranha Temporal range: Late Miocene
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| comparison of M. paranensis and the tambaqui | |
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| Genus: | †Megapiranha Cione et al. 2009
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| Species: | †M. paranensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Megapiranha paranensis Cione et al. 2009
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Megapiranha paranensis or megapiranha is an extinct serrasalmid characin fish from the Late Miocene (8–10 million years ago) of Argentina, described in 2009.[1] It is thought to have been about 71–128 centimetres (2.33–4.20 ft) in length.[2][3] The holotype consists only of premaxillae and a zigzag tooth row; the rest of its body is unknown.[3] This dentition is reminiscent of both the double-row seen in pacus, and the single row seen in the teeth of modern piranhas, suggesting that M. paranensis is a transitional form. Its bite force is estimated between 1,240–4,749 N (279–1,068 lbf).[2]
References
- ^ Live Science: Toothy 3-foot Piranha Fossil Found
- ^ a b Grubich, J.R.; Huskey, S.; Crofts, S.; Orti, G.; Porto, J. (2012). "Mega-Bites: Extreme jaw forces of living and extinct piranhas (Serrasalmidae)". Scientific Reports. 2. doi:10.1038/srep01009.
- ^ a b Cione, Alberto Luis; Dahdul, Wasila M.; Lundberg, John G.; Machado-Allison, Antonio (2009). "Megapiranha paranensis, a new genus and species of Serrasalmidae (Characiformes, Teleostei) from the Upper Miocene of Argentina". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (2): 350. doi:10.1671/039.029.0221. (Summary of the paper).
External links
- "New fossil tells how piranhas got their teeth". eurekalert.org. 2009.
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