Protopteraspididae
| Protopteraspididae Temporal range: Early Devonian
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Protopteraspis gosseleti | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
| Class: | †Pteraspidomorphi |
| Subclass: | †Heterostraci |
| Order: | †Pteraspidiformes |
| Family: | †Protopteraspididae |
| Genera | |
Protopteraspididae is an extinct family of pteraspidid heterostracan agnathans. Fossils of the various genera are found in early Devonian-aged marine strata. Protopteraspidids were once thought to represent a taxon of basal pteraspidids (hence "proto") but recent evaluations demonstrate that Protopteraspididae is a paraphyletic group of various transitional forms representing a gradual transition between the more advanced (comprising Pteraspididae, and Protaspididae),[1] and the anchipteraspidids and the Psammosteids.
Genera[]
Protopteraspids are found in Lower Devonian marine strata of the Western United States, Northern Canada, England, France, Belgium, Svalbard, Norway, and Podolia, Ukraine.[2]
Protopteraspis[]
This genus is known from several species from Lower Devonian England, France and Belgium
Doryaspis[]
This is a genus of aberrant pteraspidids with lower lips elongated into long, dagger-like organs of unknown function. The various species are primarily restricted to the Lower Devonian strata of Svalbard.
Escharaspis[]
Miltaspis[]
Stegobranchiaspis[]
Unarkaspis[]
"Trygonaspis"[]
"Trygonaspis" is a nomen nudum given to a beautifully preserved complete armor that strongly resembles Protopteraspis in form, but with a long, recurved dorsal spine, and orbital plates that have bookshelf-like extensions. The only known specimen was found in Northern Canada.
References[]
- ^ Pernegre, Vincent N., and David K. Elliott. "Phylogeny of the Pteraspidiformes (Heterostraci), Silurian–Devonian jawless vertebrates." Zoologica Scripta 37.4 (2008): 391-403.
- ^ Blieck, Alain. "Les hétérostracés Ptéraspidiformes, agnathes du Silurien-Dévonien du continent Nord-Atlantique et des blocs avoisinants: Révision systématique, phylogénie, biostratigraphie, biogéographie." (1984).
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- Pteraspidiformes
- Devonian jawless fish
- Early Devonian fish
- Prehistoric jawless fish families
- Early Devonian first appearances
- Early Devonian extinctions
- Pteraspidomorphi stubs
- Devonian jawless fish stubs