Authors: Murray, Alison M.; Cumbaa, Stephen L.; Harington, C. R.; Smith, Gerald R.; Rybczynski, Natalia

Source: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, Volume 46, Number 7, July 2009 , pp. 557-570(14)

Publisher: NRC Research Press

Abstract:

Percid remains from Pliocene deposits on Ellesmere Island, Arctic Canada, are identified as a species of Sander, similar to the walleye and sauger of North America and the pike-perch of Europe and western Asia. They are named as a new species, Sander teneri. These remains are the most northerly percid elements found to date and suggest the palaeoenvironment was significantly warmer in the Pliocene than it is currently. The fossil remains show the presence in North America of the family Percidae as well as the genus Sander prior to the Pleistocene, indicating a previously proposed Pleistocene immigration from Europe or Asia can be discounted. These fossils contradict an earlier hypothesis that percids, in particular Sander, crossed from Eurasia to North America in the Pleistocene; instead, the fossils show percids were already in the area by the Pliocene.

Des restes de percidés provenant de dépôts pliocènes de l'île Ellesmere, dans l'Arctique canadien, sont attribués à une espèce de Sander semblable au doré jaune et au doré noir d'Amérique du Nord, et au sandre d'Europe et d'Asie occidentale. Le nouveau nom d'espèce Sander teneri leur est attribué. Ces restes constituent les éléments de percidés les plus nordiques trouvés à ce jour et portent à croire que le paléomilieu était sensiblement plus chaud au Pliocène qu'il ne l'est actuellement. Les restes fossiles démontrent que la famille des Percidés de même que le genre Sander étaient présents en Amérique du Nord avant le Pléistocène, ce qui invalide la thèse antérieurement proposée d'une immigration pléistocène provenant d'Europe ou d'Asie. L'existence de ces fossiles vient contredire une hypothèse antérieure voulant que les percidés, et plus particulièrement Sander, soient arrivés en Amérique du Nord en provenance de l'Eurasie au Pléistocène. Les fossiles montrent plutôt que les percidés étaient déjà présents en Amérique du Nord durant le Pliocène.

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2009-07-01

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