Four species of Metaceratodus (Osteichthyes: Dipnoi, Family Ceratodontidae) from Australian Mesozoic and Cenozoic deposits

Abstract

ABSTRACT The ceratodont lungfish Metaceratodus wollastoni is described from new material from central and southern Australia, and three additional species, Metaceratodus ellioti, Metaceratodus bonei, and Metaceratodus palmeri are included in the genus. M. ellioti and M. bonei are new species, and M. palmeri, originally described as Ceratodus palmeri, has been reassigned. The current determinations of species are based on morphological characters. M. wollastoni is found in Lower and Upper Cretaceous deposits in southeast and central Australia. M. ellioti is confined to the Upper Cretaceous of southeast and central Australia. M. bonei is found in the Namba and Etadunna formations in central Australia, late Oligocene to middle Miocene in age, as well as a single record from a possible Pleistocene deposit. M. palmeri comes from strata belonging to the Pliocene and Pleistocene of eastern Australia. At least one species of Metaceratodus also occurs in the Lower Cretaceous Coli-Toro Formation of South America.