A Chinese research team has discovered a new genus and species of tubalepid antiarch, Tongdulepis concavus, which dates back approximately 390 million years in Qujing, Yunnan Province, according to the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) on Sunday.

The new findings, led by Zhu Min from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, confirm the plausibility of the Tubalepididae family and further clarify the phylogenetic relationships of tubalepid antiarch fish.

The species was discovered in Huize County, Qujing City, historically known as the "Copper Capital of Southern China" or "Tongdu" in Chinese. This name reflects the region's 3,000-year history of copper mining and smelting, which also inspired the species' name.

Tubalepid antiarch belongs to the class of Placoderms (armored fishes), which are the most diverse fish group (jawed stem-Gnathostomata) that existed during the Silurian and Devonian periods.

During past studies, the skull roofs of different antiarch groups have all shown the same component bones, consisting of a premedian plate, a rostral plate, a pineal plate, a postpineal plate, a nuchal plate, and paired lateral plate, postmarginal plate, and paranuchal plates. The study confirms the absence of the postmarginal plate in the Tubalepididae family.

Additionally, the Tongdulepis concavus species has wide and narrow orbital fenestra and ridge-less trunk armor.

The research team has incorporated 51 ingroup taxa and 11 new characters that had not been included in previous parsimony analyses. Its findings have positioned the Tubalepididae family at the trunk of Bothriolepis, forming a new branch.

This discovery further solidifies Qujing's reputation as a "Kingdom of Ancient Fishes" and highlights its significance as a global center for fish radiation and evolution during the Devonian period. (ECNS)