Athena Review Image Archive ™
Myxinikela, a fossil hagfish
Detail of cranium of Myxinikela, a fossil hagfish from Illinois (after Bardack 1991).
Myxinikela siroka,
a fossil hagfish (class Myxini), was discovered by Bardack
(1991) in the Francis Creek Shale in Illinois, part of the
Carbondale Formation, which dates from the Pennsylvanian period
(324-298 mya).
The fossil, including a whole specimen, is the
first fossil hagfish found. It preserves the paired tentacles found in
living hagfish, along with internal organs, and detail of the cranium,
as shown in this image (scale: 1 mm).
Reference:
Bardack, D. 1991. First fossil hagfish (Myxinoidea): a record from the Pennsylvanian of Illinois. Science, 254: 701–702
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