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PALEOVISLAB

The roughly inch-long Fanjingshania renovata, a spiny cartilaginous fish found in Guizhou Province, shedded its scales by reabsorbing hard tissues, a trait normally seen in bony fish.

Based on the spiraling tooth whorls of Qianodus duplicis, researchers think the teeth most likely sat near the front of the jaw of a shark-like cartilaginous fish.

This digital render of one of Chongqing's fossil blocks, generated from many 2D images of the stone, showcases just how jam-packed the rock is with fossils. Though these fish are preserved intact, they are usually very small, no more than 1.6 inches (4 centimeters) in length.

The early armored fish Xiushanosteus mirabilis, excavated at Chongqing, was only about 1.2 inches (3 centimeters) long.