Ateleaspis

Ateleaspis
Temporal range: Early Silurian to Early Devonian
Ateleaspis tessellata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteostraci
Order: Atelaspidiformes
Family: Ateleaspididae
Genus: Ateleaspis
Traquair, 1899
Species: A. tessellata
Binomial name
Ateleaspis tessellata
Traquair, 1899

Ateleaspis is an extinct genus of primitive ostracoderm fish that lived in the Early Silurian to Early Devonian periods. Like other ostracoderms, Ateleaspis had a head shield similar to that of Cephalaspis. Species from Silurian period were found in Norway and Scotland, but now has been found also in Siberia from Early Devonian period.

Description

Ateleaspis possibly is the most basal vertebrate with paired fins. Ateleaspis was a small fish (about 15 - 20 cm) and had a flat headshield a narrow trunk covered by brick-like scales.


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