Smit Original Early Drawing of a Cladoselache

SMIT, Joseph (1836-1929).
Cladoselache, Tristichopterus & Pterichthys.
Original Illustration in pen, ink and grey wash, heightened in white.
c.1905-1912.
7 1/4" x 10 5/8" sheet.

Original artwork for Henry R. Knipe's Nebula to Man. Illustrated on page 23.

1. Cladoselache is a genus of extinct shark-like chondrichthyan which first appeared in the Devonian period. Growing up to 1.8 meters (5.9 ft) long and roaming the oceans of North America, it is considered to have been a fast-moving and fairly agile predator due to its streamlined body and deeply forked tail. Cladoselache is one of the best known of the early chondrichthyans in part due to the well preserved fossils that were discovered in the Cleveland Shale on the south shore of Lake Erie. In addition to the skeleton, the fossils were so well preserved that they included traces of skin, muscle fibers, and internal organs, such as the kidneys.

2. Tristichopterus is a genus of prehistoric lobe-finned fish which lived during the Devonian period. Tristichopterus belongs to the family Tristichopteridae.

3. Pterichthyodes is a genus of antiarch placoderm fishes from the Devonian period. Its fossils have been discovered in Scotland. They were one of the first species recognized for what they were, as their fossils are common in the Old Red Sandstone formation studied by geologists in the early 19th century. Due to their extreme divergence from modern-day fish, they were a puzzle unsolved until Charles Darwin brought forward his theories on evolution.