Ginglymodi

Ginglymodi is a clade of ray-finned fish containing modern-day gars (Lepisosteidae) and their extinct relatives (including the family Lepidotidae) in the order Lepisosteiformes, the extinct orders Semionotiformes and Kyphosichthyiformes, and various other extinct taxa. Ginglymodi is one of the two major subgroups of the infraclass Holostei, the other one being Halecomorphi, which contains the bowfin and eyespot bowfin and their fossil relatives.

==Fossil record== The fossil record of ginglymodians goes back at least to the Anisian stage of the Triassic period, over 240 million years ago. Eosemionotus is one of the earliest ginglymodians. Acentrophorus, another taxon from the Middle and Late Permian, and Paracentrophorus from the Early Triassic epoch, could be even earlier members of the group. Ginglymodi was diverse and widespread during the Mesozoic era, but they represent a depauperate lineage today. The group first evolved in marine environments, but several lineages made separate transitions into freshwater environments. The basal ginglymodian order Kyphosichthyiformes is known from a few genera from the Triassic of China, many of which have deep bodies.