Early members of ‘living fossil’ lineage imply later origin of modern ray-finned fishes

A 2017 CT-based analysis recovered scanilepiforms including Fukangichthys as stem polypterids, shifting many Palaeozoic ray-fins onto the actinopterygian stem and moving the study's crown minimum about 45 million years younger; this topology-dependent recalibration is not the crown's birth time.

Fukangichthys longidorsalis is a scanilepiform whose CT-informed analysis placed it on the polypterid stem; that placement is a sampled topology, not direct ancestry.

The named Fukangichthys specimens come from the Middle Triassic Kelamayi Formation of Xinjiang, China; this sample does not establish global distribution.

The cited studies focus on anatomy and topology and do not directly establish diet, habitat preference, swimming performance or trophic guild.

CT and comparative anatomy of IVPP V4096.6 and IVPP V4096.13 supply endoskeletal and external characters used to revise scanilepiform placement.

The displayed 247–241.464 Ma interval is a Middle Triassic Kelamayi Formation envelope and is separate from the topology-dependent crown-actinopterygian calibration.

The Early actinopterygian evidence route navigation entity is source-linked only to the named specimen, dataset and analysis dossiers already cited by its range ledger. Its displayed span is a study-bounded route or sample envelope, not a biological taxon, ancestor sequence, global FAD/LAD or exact origin interval.