Bawitius

Bawitius is an extinct genus of giant polypterid from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) Bahariya Formation of Egypt.^[1] The genus etymology comes from Bawiti, the principal settlement of the Bahariya Oasis in Egypt.^[1] It is known from several ectopterygoid bones and some sparse scales.^[1]

Morphology

Compared to modern polypterids, Bawitius was probably very large: the Bawitius holotype ectopterygoid is five times larger than the one of Polypterus and the scales are unusually large, too.^[1]

The morphology of Bawitius is different enough to justify its assignment to a new genus. Unique features of the genus are, for example, an anterioposteriorly elongated contact between the lateral process and the maxilla, a high, narrow ectopterygoid and the presence of 14 teeth in the main tooth row.^[1]

The scales are different, too, apart from size, from those of modern polypterids: they feature a discontinuous ganoine layer, a rectilinear shape, and small articular processes.^[1]

Ecological relevance

The existence of drastically different polypterids such as Bawitius and Serenoichthys corroborates the existence of a variety of polypterid fishes in the ecosystems of Late Cretaceous of North Africa.^[1]

References