The teleost fish Paravinciguerria praecursor Arambourg, 1954 in the Cenomanian of north-eastern Sicily

Remains of the teleost fish Paravinciguerria praecursor Arambourg, 1954 are reported for the first time from the upper Cenomanian of the Monti Peloritani and Monti Nebrodi, north-eastern Sicily. The available material consists of four partially articulated head skeletons. These specimens were collected from the black shales of the Argille Varicolori outcropping in proximity of the towns of Floresta and Malvagna, in the Messina province. The upper Cenomanian ichthyolitiferous black shales of north-eastern Sicily originated on a distal ramp along the North African continental shelf and represent the sedimentary expression of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2. Paravinciguerria praecursor, which was previously reported from the upper Cenomanian-lower Turonian deposits of Morocco and northern Italy, is the eighteenth taxon known from the upper Cenomanian of north-eastern Sicily. The possible phylogenetic affinities of Paravinciguerria are discussed in detail. The assignment of this genus to any of the protacanthopterygian subgroups is excluded. Based on the structure of the upper jaw and hyobranchial apparatus, it is suggested that Paravinciguerria may be interpreted as a stem stomiiform, thereby representing the earliest member of this lineage.