Canberra, Mar 19 (UNI) The discovery of new fish species that inhabited Australia's freshwater lakes and rivers 15 million years ago provides insights into the evolution of freshwater fish species and Australia's ancient ecosystems, scientists said on Wednesday.
The newly identified fish species was named after Prof. Jochen Brocks from the Australian National University (ANU), who played a key role in its discovery, according to a news release of the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences.
The fossil of the ancient fish, named Ferruaspis brocksi, was found at McGraths Flat, a fossil site near Gulgong, New South Wales. The name derives from "ferru" (Latin for iron) due to its preservation in iron-rich rock and "brocksi" after Prof. Brocks.