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In the LRT the Weberian apparatus evolved 4x – not just once

Friday, October 3, 2025 15:49

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Publicity for Jiu et al 2025.
“Two-thirds of all freshwater fish today—including more than 10,000 species, from catfish to popular aquarium fish like tetras and zebrafish—have this middle ear system, called the Weberian apparatus, which allows them to hear sounds at much higher frequencies than most ocean fish can, with a range close to that of humans.”

The report assumes the Weberian apparatus evolved only once. According to the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 taxa) this ‘apparatus’ evolved at least 3x by convergence because catfish, tetras and zebrafish are not related to one another. Santanichthys (Fig 2) represents a fourth evolution by convergence.

“Liu’s analysis of fossil and genomic data implies that the fish originally developed precursor bones of their superb hearing while still in the ocean.”

“Only later did they develop fully functional enhanced hearing, after the two separate lineages moved into fresh water: one evolving into today’s catfish, knife fish and African and South American tetras; the other evolving into the largest order of freshwater fish, the carp, suckers, minnows and zebrafish.”

Figure 1. Acronichthys in situ. Skull is from figure 2. ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 1. Acronichthys in situ. Skull is from figure 2.

” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94769″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Acronichthys in situ. Skull is from figure 2.” width=”584″ height=”271″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg?w=584&h=271 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg?w=150&h=70 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg?w=300&h=139 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys-maccagnoi.insitu588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Figure 1. Acronichthys in situ. Skull is from figure 2.

Editor’s summary
“The Otophysan suborder contains nearly 70% of all freshwater fish species, many of which are quite familiar, such as carp, catfish, and eels.

There are many unrelated taxa called ‘eels’ in the LRT. Carp and catfish are not related to one another. European eels are derived from catfish. The authors refer Chanos to the Gonorynchiformes, but the LRT nests Chanos closer to Clupea among the few taxa tested in both studies.

“It had been believed that this group originated in fresh water before the breakup of Pangea. However, after analyzing a recently discovered Late Cretaceous fossil, Liu et al. concluded that this group first evolved in a marine environment and later colonized fresh water multiple separate times.”

Figure 2. Acronichthys (top) compared to scale with tiny Santanichthys (bottom). ” data-image-caption=”

Figure 2. Acronichthys (top) compared to scale with tiny Santanichthys (bottom).

” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg?w=223″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-94771″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Acronichthys (top) compared to scale with tiny Santanichthys (bottom). ” width=”584″ height=”787″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg?w=584&h=787 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg?w=111&h=150 111w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg?w=223&h=300 223w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/acronichthys.skull588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />

Figure 2. Acronichthys (top) compared to scale with tiny Santanichthys (bottom).

Liu looked at tiny Santanichthys and Acronichthys
(Figs 1, 2). According to Filleful and Maisey 2004, “Santanichthys was probably either marine or at least could tolerate brackish mangrovelike waters.” Acronicthys is apparently related based on size and morphology (Fig 2), but was not tested in the LRT. Santanichthys nests basal to marine tarpon (genus: Tarpon) and is derived from marine herring (Clupea).

“Furthermore, the fossil informs on the evolution of the group’s Weberian hearing apparatus, suggesting that it was associated with freshwater adaptations.”

Abstract
“Otophysans, known for their enhanced hearing enabled by the complex Weberian apparatus, comprise two-thirds of extant freshwater fish species.

Again, this assumes a monophyletic clade, not convergent appearances. In the LRT catfish are derived from arthrodire placoderms. The authors appear to be unaware of this due to tradition and taxon exclusion.

“Previously, they were thought to have originated in fresh water before the breakup of Pangea, implying a nearly 80-million-year gap between the origin and oldest known fossil. However, the discovery of a Late Cretaceous freshwater otophysan challenges this view. Integrating fossil, morphological, and genomic data, we estimate a younger crown group origin of ~154 million years ago. Notably, ancestral range and habitat reconstructions indicate marine origins for the otophysan crown groups, with at least two transitions to fresh water. Functional simulations of the Weberian ossicles of this fossil suggest that the distinctive hearing capabilities of otophysans evolved in conjunction with fusion of hearing ossicle parts and freshwater adaptations.”

Consider other possibilities based on the convergent appearances of the Weberian ossicles in the LRT. That trait is neither tested nor scored in the LRT.

Try not to create clades based on a few to a dozen traits. That’s called, “Pulling a Larry Martin.” Instead, tests hundreds of traits, then report the convergent appearances.

References
Liu J et al 2025. Marine origins and freshwater radiations of the otophysan fishes, Science (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adr4494. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr4494
Filleul A and Maisey JG 2004, Redescription of Santanichthys diasii (Otophysi, Characiformes) from the Albian of the Santana Formation and comments on its implications for otophysan relationships. Am. Mus. Novit. 3455, 1–21.

Publicity
Fossilized ear bones rewrite the history of freshwater fish

Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/10/04/in-he-lrt-the-weberian-apparatus-evolved-4x-not-just-once/

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