Mesomyzon

Mesomyzon; Temporal range: Early Cretaceous Barremian–Aptian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Fossil specimen of M. mengae
	Life reconstruction of Mesomyzon mengae
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Hyperoartia
Order:	Petromyzontiformes
Genus:	Mesomyzon; Chang, Zhang & Miao 2006
Type species
	Mesomyzon mengae; Chang, Zhang & Miao 2006

Mesomyzon mengae is an extinct lamprey from freshwater strata of the Early Cretaceous-aged Yixian Formation, in China.^[1]

The animal's exquisitely preserved fossils show a creature very similar to modern-day lampreys, having a well-developed sucking oral disk, a branchial basket, at least seven pairs of gill pouches and corresponding gill arches, impressions of gill filaments, and at least 80 myomeres of its musculature.^[1] It had the same three phase life cycle found in modern lampreys.^[2]

A phylogenetic analysis conducted in 2018 shows that Mesomyzon is the fossil lamprey most closely related to modern taxa, though it is not closely related to any modern group.^[3] On the other hand, Brownstein & Near (2022) found it to be a member of the lamprey crown group, most closely related to Petromyzontidae.^[4] However, a 2023 study found it again to be a derived stem lamprey, with the earlier Yanliaomyzon from the same region found to be more closely related to modern lampreys. This study also suggested Mesomyzon to be a blood feeder.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Chang, M. M.; Zhang, J.; Miao, D. (2006). "A lamprey from the Cretaceous Jehol biota of China". Nature. 441 (7096): 972–974. Bibcode:2006Natur.441..972C. doi:10.1038/nature04730. PMID 16791193. S2CID 4427676.
^ ^a ^b Wu, Feixiang; Janvier, Philippe; Zhang, Chi (2023-10-31). "The rise of predation in Jurassic lampreys". Nature Communications. 14 (1): 6652. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42251-0. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 10618186.
^ Miyashita, Tetsuto; Coates, Michael I.; Farrar, Robert; Larson, Peter; Manning, Phillip L.; Wogelius, Roy A.; Edwards, Nicholas P.; Anné, Jennifer; Bergmann, Uwe; Palmer, A. Richard; Currie, Philip J. (2019-02-05). "Hagfish from the Cretaceous Tethys Sea and a reconciliation of the morphological–molecular conflict in early vertebrate phylogeny". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (6): 2146–2151. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.2146M. doi:10.1073/pnas.1814794116. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 6369785. PMID 30670644.
^ Brownstein, C. D.; Near, T. J. (2022). "Phylogenetics and the Cenozoic radiation of lampreys". Current Biology. 33 (2): 397–404.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.12.018. PMID 36586410. S2CID 255278945.

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[chang-1] Chang, M. M.; Zhang, J.; Miao, D. (2006). "A lamprey from the Cretaceous Jehol biota of China". Nature. 441 (7096): 972–974. Bibcode:2006Natur.441..972C. doi:10.1038/nature04730. PMID 16791193. S2CID 4427676.

[Yanliaomyzon-2] Wu, Feixiang; Janvier, Philippe; Zhang, Chi (2023-10-31). "The rise of predation in Jurassic lampreys". Nature Communications. 14 (1): 6652. doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42251-0. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 10618186.

[3] Miyashita, Tetsuto; Coates, Michael I.; Farrar, Robert; Larson, Peter; Manning, Phillip L.; Wogelius, Roy A.; Edwards, Nicholas P.; Anné, Jennifer; Bergmann, Uwe; Palmer, A. Richard; Currie, Philip J. (2019-02-05). "Hagfish from the Cretaceous Tethys Sea and a reconciliation of the morphological–molecular conflict in early vertebrate phylogeny". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 116 (6): 2146–2151. Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.2146M. doi:10.1073/pnas.1814794116. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 6369785. PMID 30670644.

[4] Brownstein, C. D.; Near, T. J. (2022). "Phylogenetics and the Cenozoic radiation of lampreys". Current Biology. 33 (2): 397–404.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2022.12.018. PMID 36586410. S2CID 255278945.

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