Heterosteus

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Heterosteus
Temporal range: Middle Devonian, Givetian
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Heterosteus ingens.jpg
Life reconstruction of Heterosteus ingens
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Placodermi
Order:
Arthrodira
Suborder:
Brachythoraci

not Gross, 1932
Family:
Heterosteidae
Genus:
Heterosteus

Asmuss, 1856
Species
  • Heterosteus asmussi Agassiz, 1844 (type)
  • Heterosteus ingens
  • Heterosteus rhenanus
Synonyms

Heterosteus (Sometimes descripted as Heterostius[1][2]) is an extinct genus of heterosteid placoderm known from remains discovered in Europe and Greenland.

Name[]

Heterosteus is originally described as species of Trionyx in 1837.[3] Also in later studies it was often misidentified and given names like Ichthyosauroides, Asterolepis asmussi and Chelonichthys asmusii.[1] Even in recent studies, it is controversial as to whether to use genus name Heterosteus or Heterostius. According to International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, suffix ‘-ostius’ in scientific name should not be corrected as ‘-osteus’, so some study uses genus name Heterostius.[1]

Description[]

This genus includes the largest species in the family, and are among the largest arthrodires, as well, with the type species, H. asmussi, having an estimated body length of up to 6 metres (19 ft 8 in).[4] The genus differs from Herasmius by having the orbits on slightly longer eyestalk-like projections. The various species are found in Givetian-aged deposits in Europe and Greenland. With the except of the German H. rhenanus, all species are known from freshwater deposits: H. rhenanus is based on fragments found in a marine deposit.

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Zhu, You-An; Zhu, Min; Wang, Jun-Qing (2016-04-01). "Redescription of Yinostius major (Arthrodira: Heterostiidae) from the Lower Devonian of China, and the interrelationships of Brachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 176 (4): 806–834. doi:10.1111/zoj.12356. ISSN 0024-4082.
  2. ^ Schultze, Hans-Peter; Cumbaa, Stephen L. (2017-04-26). "A new Early Devonian (Emsian) arthrodire from the Northwest Territories, Canada, and its significance for paleogeographic reconstruction". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 54 (5): 461–476. Bibcode:2017CaJES..54..461S. doi:10.1139/cjes-2017-0013. hdl:1807/76893.
  3. ^ British Museum (Natural History).; History), British Museum (Natural; Woodward, Arthur Smith (1891). Catalogue of the fossil fishes in the British Museum (Natural History). Vol. 2. London: Printed by order of the Trustees.
  4. ^ Denison, Robert (1978). Placodermi Volume 2 of Handbook of Paleoichthyology. Stuttgart New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-89574-027-4.
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