''Xiphiorhynchus'' is an extinct genus of prehistoric

swordfish Swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as broadbills in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are a popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfis ...

that lived from the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene' ...

until the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

. Unlike the modern swordfish, both the upper and lower jaws of ''Xiphiorhynchus'' were extended into blade-like points.

Distribution

Fossils of ''Xiphiorhynchus'' have been found in:''Xiphiorhynchus''
at

Fossilworks Fossilworks is a portal which provides query, download, and analysis tools to facilitate access to the Paleobiology Database The Paleobiology Database is an online resource for information on the distribution and classification of fossil animals ...

.org ;Eocene *

La Meseta Formation The La Meseta Formation is a sedimentary sequence deposited during the Eocene. The formation is found on Seymour Island, Antarctica. Description La Meseta Formation lies unconformably on the Cretaceous Lopez de Bertodano Formation. It is an app ...

, Antarctica *

London Clay The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian (early Eocene Epoch, c. 56–49 million years ago) age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for its fossil content. The fossils from t ...

Selsey Selsey is a seaside town and civil parish, about eight miles (12 km) south of Chichester in West Sussex, England. Selsey lies at the southernmost point of the Manhood Peninsula, almost cut off from mainland Sussex by the sea. It is bounde ...

and Elmore Formations, England *

Yazoo Formation Yazoo Clay is a clay geologic formation in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It was named after a bluff along the Yazoo River at Yazoo City, Mississippi It contains is a type of clay known as montmorillonite, making it a poor foundation mater ...

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

Moodys Branch Formation The Moodys Branch Formation is a geologic formation in Georgia. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period Period may refer to: Common uses * Era, a length or span of time * Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark Arts, en ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

* Castle Hayne Formation,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

;Oligocene *

Chandler Bridge Formation The Chandler Bridge Formation is a geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Chattian (Late Oligocene) of the Paleogene period, corresponding to the Arikareean in the NALMA classification.

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

;Miocene * Raz-el-Ain Formation, Algeria *

Pisco Formation The Pisco Formation is a geologic formation located in Peru, on the southern coastal desert of Ica, Peru, Ica and Arequipa. The approximately thick formation was deposited in the Pisco Basin, spanning an age from the Miocene, Middle Miocene up to ...

, Peru

References

External links

Bony fish in the online Sepkoski Database
Prehistoric ray-finned fish genera Ypresian genus first appearances Miocene extinctions Prehistoric fish of Africa Neogene Africa Fossils of Algeria Prehistoric fish of Antarctica Paleogene Antarctica Fossils of Antarctica Prehistoric fish of Europe Paleogene United Kingdom Fossils of England Prehistoric fish of North America Paleogene United States Fossils of Louisiana Fossils of Mississippi Fossils of North Carolina Fossils of South Carolina Prehistoric fish of South America Neogene Peru Fossils of Peru Fossil taxa described in 1871 Xiphiidae {{paleo-perciformes-stub

Distribution

See also

References

External links