Which family did Joseph Leidy initially suspect Xiphactinus belonged to?
Answer
Siluridae
Despite its eventual placement among marine predatory fish, Joseph Leidy's initial systematic assessment of the material led him to suspect that *Xiphactinus* belonged to the catfish family, known scientifically as *Siluridae*. This historical suspicion is significant because the Siluridae are characterized as freshwater fish. This initial identification was ultimately contradicted by the context of the marine fossil deposits where *Xiphactinus* specimens were found, illustrating the challenges in classifying fragmentary ancient life forms.
Related Questions
What physical characteristic defines membership in Class Actinopterygii for Xiphactinus?How did Xiphactinus compare in size to its contemporaries in the Order Ichthyodectiformes?Who formally established the genus name Xiphactinus in 1870?Which family did Joseph Leidy initially suspect Xiphactinus belonged to?What does the Greek derivation of the name Xiphactinus roughly reference?Which species discovery in 1997 expanded the known temporal distribution of the genus?What characteristic confirms Xiphactinus's placement within Phylum Chordata?What synonym, used by Cope in the 1870s, was eventually superseded by Xiphactinus?What ecological niche did the Order Ichthyodectiformes primarily dominate during the Mesozoic?What criteria likely determined the placement of Xiphactinus within Family Ichthyodectidae?When did Xiphactinus cease to exist following the K–Pg extinction event?