title: On the type material of Lepidosiren paradoxa Fitzinger, 1837 (Sarcopterygii, Dipnoi).
abstract: Lepidosiren paradoxa, the first living dipnoan to be discovered, was first described from two specimens collected by Johann Natterer during his 18-year expedition in Brazil. Those specimens were first studied by Fitzinger and Bischoff, but few data are available to identify the syntypes of L. paradoxa. A reevaluation of Bischoff's original description permits one to clearly identify one of four lots--NMW-50270 pt.a--currently housed in the Naturhistorisches Museum Wien as part of one of the syntypes of this species, based mostly on the reported measurements and marks on the skull, and putatively attribute another lot--NMW-50270 pt.b--to the same specimen. Two lots could be definitely ruled out as part of the type series. The second type specimen could not be found.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 20559-900 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. lupa@crivano.com
authors.forename: Lúcio Paulo
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wellendorf
authors.forename: Paulo M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Brito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001938:Brazil; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification*; D005580:Fossils