DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9k5p0
title: Data from: Bajaichthys elegans from the Eocene of Bolca (Italy) and the overlooked morphological diversity of Zeiformes (Teleostei, Acanthomorpha)

description: The Eocene (Ypresian) fauna of Bolca, Italy yields a famous assemblage of
 marine tropical teleosts. One of the most anatomically distinctive
 teleosts from Bolca is the enigmatic †Bajaichthys elegans, generally
 interpreted as a member of Lampridiformes (oarfishes and their allies).
 Re-examination of the type and only specimen of †Bajaichthys contradicts
 this attribution, and we propose that its original description as a member
 of Zeiformes (dories) was in fact correct. †Bajaichthys bears numerous
 derived features of zeiforms not found in lampridiforms, including: a
 pelvic spine, a first vertebra closely associated with the neurocranium,
 and a reduced metapterygoid not contacting the quadrate. Lampridiform-like
 attributes, including a greatly elongated ascending process of the
 premaxilla, are known to be convergent between this group and Zeiformes.
 Using a combination of morphological and molecular data, we confirm this
 revised interpretation and resolve the position of †Bajaichthys within
 zeiform phylogeny. In terms of overall shape, the very elongate
 †Bajaichthys contrasts with deep-bodied Zeiformes and probably had
 distinctive ecological habits. Our inferred placement of †Bajaichthys and
 other fossil taxa with extended caudal peduncles (e.g. †Archaeozeus)
 suggests that the elongate morphotype is ancestral for Zeiformes as a
 whole, and that the deep-bodied geometry typical of extant taxa probably
 appeared several times independently. However, these inferences must be
 considered preliminary due to low support for patterns of relationships
 within Zeiformes. The systematic reattribution of †Bajaichthys expands the
 taxonomic diversity of the Bolca fauna as well as the morphological and
 ecological diversity of the zeiform clade.
description: Character matrix for
 Analysis 1This matrix is used for
 Analysis 1: morphological matrix of extant and fossil Zeiformes. It is
 adapted from the matrix of: Tyler, J.C. & Santini, F. (2005) A
 phylogeny of the fossil and extant zeiform-like fishes, Upper Cretaceous
 to Recent, with comments on the putative zeomorph clade (Acanthomorpha).
 Zoologica Scripta 34, 157–175.Davesne&al_Bajaichthys_Analysis1_Dataset.tntCharacter matrix for Analysis 2This character matrix is used for the Analysis 2: combined molecular and morphological matrix of extant and fossil acanthomorph, especially Zeiformes. It is adapted from the matrices of: (1) Tyler, J.C. & Santini, F. (2005) A phylogeny of the fossil and extant zeiform-like fishes, Upper Cretaceous to Recent, with comments on the putative zeomorph clade (Acanthomorpha). Zoologica Scripta 34, 157–175. and (2) Grande, T., Borden, W.C. & Smith, W.L. (2013) Limits and relationships of Paracanthopterygii: A molecular framework for evaluating past morphological hypotheses. In Mesozoic Fishes 5 - Global Diversity and Evolution (eds G. Arratia, H.-P. Schultze & M.V.H. Wilson), pp. 385–418. Verlag Dr. Friedriech Pfeil, Munich.Davesne&al_Bajaichthys_Analysis2_Dataset.tnt