Brachydeiroidea

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Brachydeiroidea
Temporal range: Middle to Late Frasnian
Brachydeirus grandis.jpg
Restoration of B. grandis
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: †Placodermi
Order: †Arthrodira
Infraorder: †Coccosteina
Superfamily: †Brachydeiroidea
Denison, 1978
Type species
Brachydeirus carinatus
Gross, 1932
Families

Brachydeiroidea is a superfamily of small to moderately large-sized arthrodire placoderms from the Late Devonian of Europe and Eastern North America.

Brachydeiroids have, in cross section, a highly compressed body, a pointed, sometimes highly elongated snout, and tremendous orbits.[1] The plates of the trunk shield are noticeably shortened: in Synauchenia, the trunk shield and head shield are fused together as a single, immovable unit.[2] The superficial anatomy of brachydeiroids is extremely diverse.[1]

Families[]

Brachydeiridae[]

A diverse family of variable forms, restricted to the middle to late Frasnian of Europe.

Leptosteidae[]

This family is represented by two species in the genus . Leptosteids differ from brachydeirids by having comparatively smaller orbits and more elongated trunk shields.

See also[]

  • List of placoderms

References[]

  1. ^ a b Denison, Robert (1978). Handbook of Paleoichthyology, Volume 2, Placodermi. New York: Gustav Fischer Verlage. p. 73. ISBN 9780895740274.
  2. ^ Denison, Robert (1978). Handbook of Paleoichthyology, Volume 2, Placodermi. New York: Gustav Fischer Verlage. p. 74. ISBN 9780895740274.


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