ABSTRACT
The Neopterygii contain all living actinoperygians except the Polypteriformes and Acipenseriformes. They thus contain the Holostei (as defined below) and the Teleostei as sister-groups (Fig. 9.1).
It is widely agreed that the Neopterygii constitute a monophyletic group (Patterson 1973; Wiley 1976; Bartram 1977; Patterson and Rosen 1977; Lauder and Liem 1983; Nelson 2006). This is supported, from molecular analysis, by Orti and Li (Chapter 1, see Fig. 1.3). Additional inclusion of the Acipenseriformes, in the mitogenomic analysis of Inoue et al. (2003), (see Chapter 7, Fig. 7.2), is debatable.
