原金梭魚

原金梭魚屬; 化石時期：89.8–66 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N 白堊紀晚期
	原金梭魚的頭顱骨
	原金梭魚的一種 P. perniciosa
科學分類
界：	動物界 Animalia
門：	脊索動物門 Chordata
綱：	輻鰭魚綱 Actinopteri
目：	†厚莖魚目 Pachycormiformes
科：	†厚莖魚科 Pachycormidae
屬：	原金梭魚屬 Protosphyraena; Leidy, 1857
種
	†閃耀原金梭魚 P. nitida; †惡毒原金梭魚 P. perniciosa; †短劍原金梭魚 P. gladius; †本頓原金梭魚 P. bentonianum;

原金梭魚屬（學名：Protosphyraena），也叫原魣屬，是外型像劍旗魚的一群已滅絕魚類，分佈範圍可能遍佈上白堊紀時期的全球海域，其化石在歐洲及亞洲都有發現，但最著名的發現地點是在美國尼奧布拉拉組（Niobrara Formation）的斯莫基山段（Smoky Hill Member）。原金梭魚的體型很大，全長 2 至 3 米。它們與當時許多的水生爬蟲類，如滄龍科及蛇頸龍亞目等動物都一起生活在白堊紀的海洋。其學名的意思是「原始的金梭魚」，分別由希臘文「早期的」pró̱tos/πρώτος 及金梭魚的屬名 sphyraena 組合而成，當時古生物學家將其誤認為是金梭魚的祖先。近期的研究顯示它們與真正的劍旗魚並非近親，而是屬於今已滅絕的厚莖魚科。

歷史及分類

惡毒原金梭魚（*P. perniciosa*，圖中較大者）與閃耀原金梭魚（*P. nitida*，圖中較小者）

原金梭魚的分類歷史十分混亂。吉迪恩·曼特爾最初於1822年在英格蘭發現了它們的胸脊化石。^[1]約瑟夫·萊迪於1857年就將之命名為Protosphyraena ferox。^[2]不過，萊迪自己就於較早前發表了誤會屬於恐龍的原金梭魚牙齒。於1870年代，愛德華·德林克·科普就命名了三個物種：Erisichte nitida、"Portheus" gladius及"Pelecopterus" pernicciosus，但其實都是屬於原金梭魚的。^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]1895年及1903年之間，美國及英格蘭的古生物學家不斷覆檢此屬，令對之有更多的認識。^[7]^[8]^[9]

現時已知有四個原金梭魚的物種：閃耀原金梭魚（P. nitida）、惡毒原金梭魚（P. perniciosa）、P. gladius及P. bentonianum。前三者是於肯薩斯州的尼奧布拉拉白堊層發現，最後者則是在Greenhorn組發現。最古老的原金梭魚遺骸則是在達科他沙巖（Dakota Sandstone）發現。^[10]

特徵

原金梭魚的整體身形就像現今的旗魚，但其吻突較短，成年的有像刀的牙齒。原金梭魚的完整骨骼相對較為稀少，在尼奧布拉拉白堊層、阿拉巴馬州的Mooreville白堊層及其他地層就有很多原梭魚的碎片標本，當中包括很多分離的牙齒、喙部及胸鰭。很多時都會發現分離的頭顱骨部份及顱後骨骼。這顯示原金梭魚較難成骨，在被埋葬及化石化前很易被食腐動物撕碎或腐化。^[10]

參考

^ Mantell, G. The fossils of the South Downs; or illustrations of the geology of Sussex. London: Lupton Relfe. 1822: xiv + 327 pp.
^ Leidy, J. Remarks on Saurocephalus and its allies. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 1857, 11: 91–95.
^ Cope, E. D. On an extinct genus of saurodont fishes. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 1873, 24: 280–281.
^ Cope, E. D. On two new species of Saurodontidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 1873, 25: 337–9.
^ Cope, E. D. Review of the vertebrata of the Cretaceous period found west of the Mississippi River. U. S. Geolological Survey of the Territories, Bulletin. 1874, 1 (2): 3–48.
^ Cope, E. D. The Vertebrata of the Cretaceous Formations of the West. Report of the U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories. 1875, 2 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office): 302 pp [2010-01-05]. （原始內容存檔於2012-02-06）.
^ Woodward, A. S. Catalogue of the fossil fishes in the British Museum. Part 3. London: British Museum of Natural History. 1895: pp. i–xliii, 1–544.
^ Loomis, F. B. Die anatomie und die verwandtschaft der Ganoid-und Knochen-fische aus der Kreide-Formation von Kansas, U.S.A. Palaeontographica. 1900, 46: 213–83.
^ Hay, O. P. On certain genera and species of North American Cretaceous Actinopterous Fishes. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 1903, 19: 1–95.
^ ^10.0 ^10.1 Everhart, M. J. Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea. Indiana University Press. 2005: 323 pp.

Stewart, A. 1900. Teleosts of the Upper Cretaceous. The University Geological Survey of Kansas 6:257-403.

外部連結

Protosphyraena: A Late Cretaceous "Swordfish" （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） at the Oceans of Kansas website. Includes detailed taxonomic history, life restorations, bibliography, many photos of fossil remains.
The most complete skeleton of Protosphyraena pernicosa yet found （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館）, on display at the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center.

[1] Mantell, G. The fossils of the South Downs; or illustrations of the geology of Sussex. London: Lupton Relfe. 1822: xiv + 327 pp.

[2] Leidy, J. Remarks on Saurocephalus and its allies. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 1857, 11: 91–95.

[3] Cope, E. D. On an extinct genus of saurodont fishes. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 1873, 24: 280–281.

[4] Cope, E. D. On two new species of Saurodontidae. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 1873, 25: 337–9.

[5] Cope, E. D. Review of the vertebrata of the Cretaceous period found west of the Mississippi River. U. S. Geolological Survey of the Territories, Bulletin. 1874, 1 (2): 3–48.

[6] Cope, E. D. The Vertebrata of the Cretaceous Formations of the West. Report of the U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories. 1875, 2 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office): 302 pp [2010-01-05]. （原始內容存檔於2012-02-06）.

[Woodward1895-7] Woodward, A. S. Catalogue of the fossil fishes in the British Museum. Part 3. London: British Museum of Natural History. 1895: pp. i–xliii, 1–544.

[Loomis1900-8] Loomis, F. B. Die anatomie und die verwandtschaft der Ganoid-und Knochen-fische aus der Kreide-Formation von Kansas, U.S.A. Palaeontographica. 1900, 46: 213–83.

[Hay1903-9] Hay, O. P. On certain genera and species of North American Cretaceous Actinopterous Fishes. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 1903, 19: 1–95.

[Everhart2005-10] 10.0 ^10.1 Everhart, M. J. Oceans of Kansas: A Natural History of the Western Interior Sea. Indiana University Press. 2005: 323 pp.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]