A fossil of an ancient fish species from approximately 436 million years ago has been discovered in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality’s Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County.

Yongdongaspis littoralis, often known as the “Binhai Yongdong fish,” is a kind of Galeaspida. The fish, which was only 4 to 5 cm long and lived primarily in a shallow sea and coastal habitats, was native to East Asia, according to the municipal planning and natural resources department.

The discovered fossil reveals a coating of hard bone on the fish’s skull, giving it the appearance of a semicircular helmet. The relevant study was published online in Acta Geologica Sinica.

According to Chen Yang, first author of the research and senior engineer at the Chongqing Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, “the discovery of the new ancient species can help exhibit some transitional states during the evolution of Galeaspida.”

The Silurian epoch, during which the fish lived, was a pivotal point in the evolution of the planet. During this time, the earth experienced tremendous geological tectonic events that resulted in the formation of marine red beds. The actual geological age of the reed beds has yet to be determined due to a lack of adequate fossils.

According to Zhu Min, professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, the fossil discovered in Chongqing is believed to reveal new evidence of the subdivision and correlation of the Upper Red Beds in southern China.

Image Credit: Binhai Yongdong Fish Recreation – CHONGQING TOWNSHIP

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