Ceratodontidae

Ceratodontidae is an extinct family of lungfish with fossils known worldwide from the earliest Triassic to the Eocene.

Ceratodontidae Temporal range: Early Triassic to Eocene, 251.3 - 57.0 mya (but see text) PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Ceratodus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Dipnoi
Order:	Ceratodontiformes
Family:	†Ceratodontidae Gill, 1872
Genera
See text

Taxonomy

Although the extant Queensland lungfish was formerly also classified in this family due to its similar appearance, phylogenetic and morphological evidence indicates that it belongs in a different family, Neoceratodontidae. A morphological study by Kemp et al (2017) proposed that Ceratodontidae was more closely related to modern African (Protopteridae) and South American lungfish (Leptosirenidae) than Queensland lungfish.^[1] However, Brownstein, Harrington & Near (2023) found Ceratodontidae to lie outside the crown group of modern lungfish, with all modern lungfish more closely related to each other than to Ceratodontidae.^[2]

Genera

The following genera are known from the family:^[3]

• †Arganodus (alternatively placed in own family, Arganodontidae)
• †Ariguna
• †Ceratodus
• †Epiceratodus
• †Lupaceratodus Galula Formation, Tanzania, Cretaceous
• †Metaceratodus
• †Microceratodus (?)
• †Potamoceratodus
• †Tellerodus
• †Retodus

Paraceratodus was also classified in this family but phylogenetic evidence supports it being the most basal member of Ceratodontoidei.^[1][4]