Dasyomyliobatis Temporal range:
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Holotype specimen | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Chondrichthyes |
Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
Superorder: | Batoidea |
Order: | Myliobatiformes |
Family: | †
Dasyomyliobatidae Marramà et al, 2023 |
Genus: | †
Dasyomyliobatis Marramà et al, 2023 |
Species: | †D. thomyorkei
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Binomial name | |
†Dasyomyliobatis thomyorkei Marramà, Villalobos-Segura, Zorzin, Kriwet & Carnevale, 2023
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Dasyomyliobatis is an extinct stingray genus in the monotypic family Dasyomyliobatidae, of the order Myliobatiformes. [1] It contains a single species, D. thomyorkei, known from the Eocene Monte Bolca Lagerstätte of Italy. The specific epithet references English musician and Radiohead vocalist Thom Yorke. [2]
The genus is characterized by a unique hybrid dentition and pectoral fin morphology that allowed the shift from undulatory to oscillatory swimming (and a resulting shift from a benthic to pelagic lifestyle), and to exploit a variety of prey from soft-bodied to hard-shelled organisms. [3] As suggested by the genus name, it displays intermediate traits between the whiptail stingrays ( Dasyatidae) and the eagle rays ( Myliobatidae), and can thus be considered a transitional form in the origin of pelagic rays. Dasyomyliobatidae is thought to represent a sister group to the Myliobatidae, and the two groups likely diverged during the Late Cretaceous. [2]
The Monte Bolca formation is thought to represent a shallow sea of the Tethys Ocean with scattered coral reefs and seagrass beds. With its combination of traits, Dasyomyliobatis may have been able to forage in both these shallow-water ecosystems as well as the open ocean. [2]