Triassic actinopterygian fishes: the recovery after the end‐Permian crisis

New discoveries of actinopterygian fish faunas from the Early and Middle Triassic of the Tethys, particularly in southern China, reveal that the recovery of these fishes after the end-Permian extinction crisis occurred earlier and more rapidly than previously thought. The research indicates a major radiation event during the Early-Middle Anisian stage, predating earlier assumptions based on Western Tethys sites like Monte San Giorgio. Additionally, it suggests an early diversification among basal neopterygians rather than subholosteans, which were dominant in the Western Tethys from the Late Anisian onward. These findings challenge existing models of post-extinction recovery and highlight the significance of Eastern Tethyan localities in understanding Triassic fish evolution.

TINTORI, A., HITIJ, T., JIANG, D., LOMBARDO, C., & SUN, Z. (2014). Triassic actinopterygian fishes: the recovery after the end‐Permian crisis. Integrative Zoology, 9(4), 394–411. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12077