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Dipterus Temporal range: Devonian, Eifelian–Givetian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Fossil of D. valenciennesi from Scotland
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Class:	Dipnoi
Family:	†Dipteridae
Genus:	†Dipterus Sedgwick & Murchison, 1828
Type species
Dipterus valenciennesi Sedgwick & Murchison, 1828
Other species
D. contraversus Hay, 1899 D. crassus Gross, 1933 D. macropterus (Traquair, 1888) D. serratus (Eichwald, 1844)

Dipterus (from Greek: δίς dís, 'two' and Greek: πτερόν pteron 'wing') is an extinct genus of marine lungfish from the middle Devonian period of Europe and potentially North America. The genus was established by Adam Sedgwick & Roderick Murchison in the year 1828. It was one of the first lungfish to be described by science.

In most respects, Dipterus, which was about 35 centimetres (14 in) long, closely resembled modern lungfish. Like its ancestor Dipnorhynchus, it had tooth-like plates on its palate instead of real teeth. However, unlike its modern relatives, in which the dorsal, caudal, and anal fin are fused into one, Dipterus's fins were still separated.

The following species are known:

• D. macropterus Traquair, 1888 - Lower Old Red Sandstone of Scotland
• ?D. marginalis (Agassiz, 1845) - Devonian of Leningrad Oblast, Russia
• ?D. radiatus (Eichwald, 1844) - Devonian of Leningrad Oblast, Russia
• ?D. serratus (Eichwald, 1844) - Eifelian of Latvia, Estonia, and Leningrad, Russia
• D. valenciennesi Sedgwick & Murchison, 1828 (type species) - Lower Old Red Sandstone of Scotland, including the Orkney Isles, potentially Oberer Plattenkalk of Germany

Many other species from Europe and North America have also been described based on isolated tooth plates, though due to their fragmentary nature, their exact taxonomic affinity is uncertain.

References

1. "Fossilworks: Dipterus".
2. Roberts, George (1839). An etymological and explanatory dictionary of the terms and language of geology. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans. p. 50. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
3. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 45. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
4. ^ Woodward, Arthur Smith (1891). Catalogue of the Fossil Fishes in the British Museum (Natural History). Taylor & Francis.
5. ^ "PBDB Taxon". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-12-09.
6. "PBDB Collection". paleobiodb.org. Retrieved 2024-12-09.

v t e Dipnomorpha
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Osteichthyes Clade: Sarcopterygii Clade: Rhipidistia Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Dipnomorpha see below↓ Dipnomorpha
Dipnomorpha †Arquatichthys †Powichthys †Porolepiformes Duffichthys Durialepis Glyptolepis Hamodus Heimenia Holoptychius Laccognathus Porolepis Pseudosauripterus Quebecius Ventalepis Dipnoi †Ctenodus †Conchopoma †Diabolepis †Dianodipterus †Eoctenodus †Gosfordia †Ichnomylax †Iranorhynchus †Isityumzi †Janvierpaucidentes †Megapleuron †Oervigia †Orlovichthys †Proceratodus †Rhinodipterus †Sagenodus †Straitonia †Tarachomylax †Tranodis †Westollrhynchus †Youngolepis †Uranolophidae Melanognathus Uranolophus †Dipnorhynchidae Dipnorhynchus Ganorhynchus Speonesydrion †Stomiahykidae Archaeonectes Stomiahykus †Chirodipteridae Chirodipterus Gogodipterus Palaedaphus Pillararhynchus Sorbitorhynchus Sunwapta †Holodontidae Asthenorhynchus Griphognathus Holodipterus Iowadipterus Robinsondipterus Xeradipterus †Dipteridae Amadeodipterus Conchodus Dipterus Howidipterus †Fleurantiidae Barwickia Fleurantia †Rhynchodipteridae Rhynchodipterus Soederberghia †Phaneropleuridae Andreyevichthys Nielsenia Phaneropleuron Pentlandia Scaumenacia †Uronemidae Ganopristodus Uronemus Ceratodontoidei †Ferganoceratodus †Paraceratodus †Ptychoceratodus Neoceratodontidae †Archaeoceratodus †Asiatoceratodus †Mioceratodus Neoceratodus †Ceratodontidae Arganodus Ariguna Ceratodus Epiceratodus Lupaceratodus Metaceratodus Microceratodus? Potamoceratodus Retodus Tellerodus †Gnathorhizidae Beltanodus Gnathorhiza Microceratodus? Monongahela Namatozodia Palaeophichthys? Persephonichthys Lepidosirenidae Lepidosiren Protopterus

This article about a prehistoric lobe-finned fish is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

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• Prehistoric lungfish genera
• Middle Devonian sarcopterygians
• Devonian sarcopterygians of Europe
• Devonian sarcopterygians of North America
• Givetian extinctions
• Fossils of Scotland
• Fossils of Germany
• Fossils of Latvia
• Fossils of Estonia
• Fossils of Russia
• Fossil taxa described in 1828
• Prehistoric lobe-finned fish stubs
• Taxa named by Roderick Murchison