Dunkleosteidae

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Dunkleosteidae
Temporal range: Late Emsian to Late Famennian, ~393.3–358.9  Ma
Dunkleosteus skull QM email.jpg
Dunkleosteus terrelli skull, Queensland Museum
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Arthrodira
Suborder: Brachythoraci
Clade: Eubrachythoraci
Clade: Pachyosteomorphi
Superfamily: Dunkleosteoidea
Family: Dunkleosteidae
Stensiö, 1963
Type species
Dinichthys terrelli
Newberry, 1873
Genera

Dunkleosteidae is an extinct family of arthrodire placoderms that lived during the Devonian period. The gigantic apex predator Dunkleosteus terrelli is the best known member of this group.

Contents

Phylogeny

While members of Dunkleosteidae were previously thought to be close relatives of the genus Dinichthys (when they were not synonymized as each other) and grouped together in the family Dinichthyidae, more recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the two taxa represent two very distinct clades within Arthrodira. [1] Dunkleosteidae was then established as the sister taxon to the family Panxiosteidae, which together comprised the superfamily Dunkleosteoidea (one of the three major clades of Eubrachythoraci). [1] Dunkleosteidae was thus cladistically defined as including the type genus Dunkleosteus and all other genera in Dunkleosteoidea more closely related to Dunkleosteus than to Panxiosteus . [2]

The phylogeny of Dunkleosteidae from the 2013 Zhu & Zhu study is shown in the cladogram below: [2]

Eubrachythoraci
Coccosteomorphi

Coccosteus cuspidatus

Harrytoombsia elegans

Mcnamaraspis kaprios

Incisoscutoidea

Compagopiscis croucheri

Incisoscutum ritchiei

Incisoscutum sarahae

Camuropiscidae

Latocamurus coulthardi

Camuropiscis laidlawi

Rolfosteus canningensis

Tubonasus lennardensis

Fallacosteus turneri

Aspinothoracidi

Dinichthys herzeri

Hadrosteus rapax

Gorgonichthys clarki

Heintzichthys gouldii

Selenosteidae

Stenosteus angustopectus

Gymnotrachelus hydei

Rhinosteus parvulus

Pachyosteus bulla

Dunkleosteoidea

Westralichthys uwagedensis

Protitanichthys rockportensis

Panxiosteidae

Panxiosteus ocullus

Janiosteus timanicus

Plourdosteus canadensis

Dunkleosteidae

Eastmanosteus calliaspis

Xiangshuiosteus wui

Eastmanosteus pustulosus

Kiangyousteus yohii

Golshanichthys asiatica

Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus

Dunkleosteus terrelli

Dunkleosteus raveri

Pachyosteomorphi

However, the subsequent 2016 Zhu et al. study using a larger morphological dataset recovered Panxiosteidae well outside of Dunkleosteoidea, leaving the status of Dunkleosteidae as a clade grouping separate from Dunkleosteoidea in doubt, as shown in the cladogram below: [3]

Eubrachythoraci
Coccosteomorphi
Coccosteoidea
Coccosteidae

Millerosteus minor

Coccosteus cuspidatus

Dickosteus threiplandi

Watsonosteus fletti

Protitanichthys rockportensis

Panxiosteidae

Plourdosteus canadensis

Panxiosteus ocullus

Janiosteus timanicus

Incisoscutoidea

Harrytoombsia elegans

Torosteus tuberculatus

Torosteus pulchellus

Mcnamaraspis kaprios

Compagopiscis croucheri

Trematosteus fontanellus

Camuropiscidae

Incisoscutum ritchiei

Incisoscutum sarahae

Rolfosteus canningensis

Tubonasus lennardensis

Fallacosteus turneri

Camuropiscis laidlawi

Latocamurus coulthardi

Pachyosteomorphi

Rhachiosteus pterygiatus

Dunkleosteoidea

Eastmanosteus calliaspis

Eastmanosteus pustulosus

Kiangyousteus yohii

Golshanichthys asiatica

Westralichthys uwagedensis

Dunkleosteus raveri

Dunkleosteus terrelli

Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus

Heterostiidae

Heterosteus ingens

Yinosteus major

Aspinothoracidi

Tapinosteus heintzi

Bullerichthys fascidens

Kendrickichthys cavernosus

Bruntonichthys multidens

Dinichthys herzeri

Hadrosteus rapax

Gorgonichthys clarki

Selenosteidae

Heintzichthys gouldii

Pachyosteus bulla

Gymnotrachelus hydei'

Stenosteus angustopectus

Brachyosteus dietrichi

Melanosteus occitanus

Rhinosteus parvulus

Genera

Dunkleosteus

Restoration of D. terrelli D Terrelli.png
Restoration of D. terrelli

The type genus, Dunkleosteus, is known from Late Frasnian and Famennian-aged marine strata from Europe, Morocco, and North America. The best known species, D. terrelli, is famous as the "world's first vertebrate apex predator," and is estimated to be up to 6 m (20 ft) in length: other species, however, such as D. raveri, are estimated to be 1 m (3.3 ft) in length.

Eastmanosteus

Eastmanosteous is a diverse genus of medium to somewhat large predatory arthrodires very similar in anatomy to the species of Dunkleosteus. Eastmanosteus differs from Dunkleosteus in having a unique tubercle-ornamentation on the dermal surfaces of the plates, a distinctively shaped nuchal plate, and sutures that are more zigzagging. The best studied species, E. calliaspis may not be of this genus due to its recently appreciated relationship to the Emsian-aged genus Xiangshuiosteus.

Golshanichthys

Fossils of Golshanichthys are found in Frasnian-aged marine strata near Kerman, Iran.

Heterosteus

Heterosteus is from the middle Devonian, found in Europe and Greenland. It is one of the larger members of the family, with an estimated body length of up to 6 metres (20 ft).

Kiangyousteus

Kiangyousteus yohii Kiangyousteus yohu - 150524515.JPG
Kiangyousteus yohii

This Middle Devonian genus represents the first arthrodire described from China. Fossils are known from the Late Givetian to Early Frasnian-aged Guanwu Formation in Sichuan province.

Xiangshuiosteus

Xiangshuiosteus was originally described as an arthrodire incertae sedis of the Late Emsian with anatomical features suggestive of both buchanosteids and coccosteids. With the reappraisal of Kiangyousteus, it is now thought to be a dunkleosteid most closely related to Eastmanosteus calliaspis.

Related Research Articles

<i>Dunkleosteus</i> Genus of extinct fishes

Dunkleosteus is an extinct genus of large arthrodire ("jointed-neck") fish that existed during the Late Devonian period, about 382–358 million years ago. It was a pelagic fish inhabiting open waters, and one of the first apex predators of any ecosystem.

<i>Dinichthys</i> Extinct genus of placoderm fish

Dinichthys is an extinct monospecific genus of large marine arthrodire placoderm from the Late Devonian measuring around 3 metres (9.8 ft) long. Fossils were recovered from the Ohio Shale Formation along the Olentangy River in Delaware County, Ohio.

<i>Rolfosteus</i>

Rolfosteus is an extinct monospecific genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period, found at the Gogo Formation of Western Australia.

<i>Eastmanosteus</i> Extinct genus of placoderm fish

Eastmanosteus is a fossil genus of dunkleosteid placoderms. It was closely related to the giant Dunkleosteus, but differed from that genus in size, in possessing a distinctive tuberculated bone ornament, a differently shaped nuchal plate and a more zig-zagging course of the sutures of the skull roof.

<i>Plourdosteus</i> Extinct genus of fishes

Plourdosteus is an extinct genus of placoderm arthrodire which was relatively widespread in Euramerica during the Givetian to Frasnian ages of the Devonian. It was a small placoderm, with P. canadensis specimen MNHM 2-177 measuring 37.5 cm (14.8 in) long.

<i>Mcnamaraspis</i> Extinct genus of fishes

Mcnamaraspis is an extinct monospecific genus of arthrodire placoderm that inhabited the ancient reef system of north Western Australia during the Frasnian epoch of the Late Devonian period. The type specimen was found and described by John A. Long from the Gogo Formation near Fitzroy Crossing. This fossil fish showed new anatomical features in arthrodires, like the well-preserved annular (ring-shaped) cartilages of the snout, previously inferred to be present by Erik Stensiö of Sweden. It is occasionally referred to as "The Gogo Fish" after the locale the holotype was excavated from.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aspinothoracidi</span> Extinct clade of fishes

Aspinothoracidi is a clade of placoderms, extinct armored fish most diverse during the Devonian. The gigantic apex predator Dinichthys, is the best-known member of this group. Many other genera, such as the infamous Dunkleosteus, were previously thought to be close relatives of Dinichthys and were grouped together in the family Dinichthyidae, though more recent studies have restricted that family to only its type species.

<i>Camuropiscis</i>

Camuropiscis is an extinct genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period, found at the Gogo Formation of Kimberley, Western Australia. The species of Camuropiscis had a flattened, elongated snout that may have aided in enhancing its hydrodynamic streamlining.

<i>Latocamurus</i>

Latocamurus is an extinct monospecific genus of flat-nosed arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period, found at the Gogo Formation of Kimberley, Western Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunkleosteoidea</span> Extinct superfamily of fishes

Dunkleosteoidea is an extinct superfamily of arthrodire placoderms that lived during the Devonian period. The gigantic apex predator Dunkleosteus terrelli is the best known member of this group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eubrachythoraci</span> Extinct suborder of fishes

Eubrachythoraci is an extinct clade of arthrodire placoderms within the suborder Brachythoraci, armored fish most diverse during the Devonian. Most are considered to be pelagic long-distance swimmers, leading to their widespread distribution beginning from at least the Middle Devonian period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pachyosteomorphi</span> Extinct suborder of fishes

Pachyosteomorphi is an extinct clade of arthrodire placoderms within the Eubrachythoraci, armored fish most diverse during the Devonian. Most are considered to be pelagic long-distance swimmers, leading to their widespread distribution beginning from at least the Middle Devonian period.

Compagopiscis is an extinct genus of placoderm known from the Gogo Formation. It lived in the Upper Devonian of Western Australia. The genus is monotypic, with its only species being Compagopiscis croucheri.

Golshanichthys is an extinct monospecific genus of dunkleosteid from the Late Devonian: Frasnian stage from Kerman, Iran.

Westralichthys is an extinct monospecific genus of dunkleosteoid from the Late Devonian: Middle Famennian stage from Western Australia. It is estimated to be 3 meters (9.8 ft) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Panxiosteidae</span> Extinct family of fishes

Panxiosteidae is an extinct family of arthrodire placoderms that lived during the Devonian period.

Panxiosteus is an extinct monospecific genus of placoderm arthrodire from the Middle Devonian: Givetian stage of Yunnan province, China.

Janiosteus is an extinct monospecific genus of placoderm arthrodire from the Middle Devonian: Late Givetian stage found in Timan, Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coccosteomorphi</span> Extinct suborder of fishes

Coccosteomorphi is an extinct clade of arthrodire placoderms within the Eubrachythoraci, armored fish most diverse during the Devonian. Most are considered to be pelagic long-distance swimmers, leading to their widespread distribution beginning from at least the Middle Devonian period.

Torosteus is an extinct genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period. Fossils are found in the Kimberley region of Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 Carr, R.K.; Hlavin, W.J. (2010). "Two new species of Dunkleosteus Lehman, 1956, from the Ohio Shale Formation (USA, Famennian) and the Kettle Point Formation (Canada, Upper Devonian), and a cladistic analysis of the Eubrachythoraci (Placodermi, Arthrodira)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 159 (1): 195–222. doi: 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00578.x .
  2. 1 2 You-An Zhu; Min Zhu (2013). "A redescription of Kiangyousteus yohii (Arthrodira: Eubrachythoraci) from the Middle Devonian of China, with remarks on the systematics of the Eubrachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society . 169 (4): 798–819. doi:10.1111/zoj12089.
  3. Zhu, You-An; Zhu, Min; Wang, Jun-Qing (1 April 2016). "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.