Rieppelia
extinct genus of coelacanths
Rieppelia is an extinct genus of latimeriid coelacanth fish from the Middle Triassic of Switzerland, in what is now Monte San Giorgio. It contains a single species, R. heinzfurreri.
Naming
The generic name is given in honor of Dr. Olivier Rieppel, who was the first to report the presence of the taxon in the fossil fauna of San Giorgio. The species is named after Dr. Heinz Furrer, who made major contributions to the geological and paleontological research of Switzerland, especially the deposits of the Triassic period.
Description
Rieppelia is an unusually short (63 cm) and stout coelacanth, akin to the closely related Foreyia. Its skull and fins had features reminiscing Paleozoic coelacanths, and a non-functional intracranial joint. Teeth were many, small, pointed and curved.
Habitat
Rieppelia lived in shallow lagoons or basins at the western end of Paleo-Tethys Ocean, and along with related genera was probably an endemism.
“Rieppelia” enters the record as extinct genus of coelacanths. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Rieppelia, extinct and genus can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Rieppelia” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Rieppelia, extinct and genus provides the most credible route into that argument.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q121461496. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Rieppelia”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Rieppelia primary sources, Rieppelia archive and Rieppelia research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Rieppelia”?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Rieppelia” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.