The homology and function of the lung plates in extant and fossil coelacanths
Open accessAbstract
The presence of a pulmonary organ that is entirely covered by true bone tissue and fills most of the abdominal cavity is hitherto unique to fossil actinistians. Although small hard plates have been recently reported in the lung of the extant coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae, the homology between these hard structures in fossil and extant forms remained to be demonstrated. Here, we resolve this question by reporting the presence of a similar histological pattern–true cellular bone with star-shaped osteocytes, and a globular mineralisation with radiating arrangement–in the lung plates of two fossil coelacanths (Swenzia latimerae and Axelrodichthys araripensis) and the plates that surround the lung of the most extensively studied extant coelacanth species,L. chalumnae. The point-for-point structural similarity of the plates in extant and fossil coelacanths supports their probable homology and, consequently, that of the organ they surround. Thus, this evidence questions the previous interpretations of the fatty organ as a component of the pulmonary complex of Latimeria.
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Homologous analyses suggest that some morphologies related to vertebrate land dispersal were already present in early bony fish species.
“However, homologous analyses of these body forms and structures in more ancient species have suggested that some of the morphologies related to vertebrate land dispersal were already present in early bony fish species.”
From Ancestral developmental potentials in early bony fish contributed to vertebrate water-to-land transition (2021) · cites this paper as Cupello et al., 2017
The Abstract reports probable homology between lung plates in fossil and extant coelacanths, and the Discussion says lungs are presumed in early bony fishes (page numbers unavailable). These passages support the presence of an ancient respiratory morphology, but the paper does not link that morphology to vertebrate dispersal onto land. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPrimitive lungs can be observed in several extant basal actinopterygians (bichirs, reedfish) and all extant sarcopterygians, as well as some fossils of coelacanths and salamanders.
“In addition, primitive lungs, which originated from the respiratory pharynx and were located on the ventral side of the alimentary tracts, can be observed in several extant basal actinopterygians (bichirs, reedfish) and all extant sarcopterygians, as well as some fossils of coelacanths and salamanders (Cupello et al., 2017; Tissier et al., 2017) (Figure 1).”
From Ancestral developmental potentials in early bony fish contributed to vertebrate water-to-land transition (2021) · cites this paper as Cupello et al., 2017
The Discussion (page unavailable in our copy) says that all extant sarcopterygians have a functional lung and describes lung evidence in fossil coelacanths. It also places the vestigial lung ventral to the alimentary tract in extant coelacanths. It does not address bichirs, reedfish, fossil salamanders, or an origin in the respiratory pharynx, so it supports only part of the cited sentence. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Cupello, C., Meunier, F. J., Herbin, M., Janvier, P., Clément, G., & Brito, P. M.
- Affiliations
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (BR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Corresponding author
- Cupello, Camila
- Venue
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2017-08-23
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 9244-9244
- ISSN
- 2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5569016
- OpenAlex
- W2747170248
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 27
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (142252/2011-5, 304082/2013-9)
- Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (E-26/, E-26/111, E-26/111.818/2013)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (UMR 7207, UMR 7208, UPMC-Paris6)
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle (UMS2700)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Urology › Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Keywords
- coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, homology, osteocytes, lung histology
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Fossils, Lung
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