Protitanichthys

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Protitanichthys
Temporal range: Middle Devonian: Eifelian - Lower Givetian, 393.3–382.7  Ma
Protitanichthys sp.jpg
Head shield, Ohio Geological Survey
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Arthrodira
Suborder: Brachythoraci
Family: Coccosteidae
Genus: Protitanichthys
Eastman, 1907
Species
  • Protitanichthys fossatusEastman, 1907 (type)
  • Protitanichthys rockportensisCase, 1931
Synonyms
  • Dinichthys ohioensisSkeels, 1962

Protitanichthys is an extinct genus of comparatively large coccosteid arthrodire placoderms from the Middle Devonian of the eastern United States. Fossils are found primarily in the Eifelian-epoch aged Delaware Limestone of Ohio, and the Lower Givetian-aged Rockport Quarry Limestone of Michigan [1]

Contents

Restoration of P. fossatus Protitanichthys fossatus.jpg
Restoration of P. fossatus

Description

Protitanichthys is very similar to other coccosteids, though the skull is proportionally narrower, and the orbits are comparatively smaller. As mentioned earlier, species are quite large for coccosteids, with most fossil specimens coming from individuals 0.5 metres (1.6 ft; 50 cm) in length, with rare fossils from over 2 metres (6.6 ft; 200 cm) individuals. [2] It is surpassed only in size by the Old World genus, Livosteus . [1]

Phylogeny

Protitanichthys is a member of the family Coccosteidae, which belongs to the clade Coccosteomorphi, one of the two major clades within Eubrachythoraci. The cladogram below shows the phylogeny of Protitanichthys: [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

Species

Protitanichthys fossatus

The type species of the genus. The description of P. fossatus is based on a cranial roof, possibly 20 cm (7.9 in) long, found in the Eifelian-aged Delaware Limestone of Ohio. [1]

Protitanichthys rockportensis

As the specific name suggests, numerous scrappy remains of this species are found in the Lower-Givetian Rockport Quarry Limestone in Michigan. Denison (1978) questions the status of P. rockportensis being distinct from P. fossatus, as there are very few differences between the two, aside from chronological and geographical differences. [1]

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>Coccosteus</i> Extinct genus of fishes

Coccosteus is an extinct genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Devonian period. Its fossils have been found throughout Europe and North America. The majority of these have been found in freshwater sediments, though such a large range suggests that they may have been able to enter saltwater. It was a small placoderm, with Coccosteus cuspidatus measuring 29.6–39.4 cm (11.7–15.5 in) long.

<i>Titanichthys</i>

Titanichthys is an extinct genus of giant, aberrant marine placoderm from shallow seas of the Late Devonian of Morocco, Eastern North America, and possibly Europe. Many of the species approached Dunkleosteus in size and build. Unlike its relative, however, the various species of Titanichthys had small, ineffective-looking mouth-plates that lacked a sharp cutting edge. It is assumed that Titanichthys was a filter feeder that used its capacious mouth to swallow or inhale schools of small, anchovy-like fish, or possibly krill-like zooplankton, and that the mouth-plates retained the prey while allowing the water to escape as it closed its mouth. A study has since confirmed this assumption as its jaws are functionally closer to that of filter feeders like baleen whales and basking sharks, and it appears to have developed from benthic durophagists that became pelagic suspension feeders. This would make it the first (known) large-sized vertebrate filter feeder. Titanichthys was estimated to have reached a length of 7–7.6 m (23–25 ft), but Engelman (2023) suggested that Titanichthys was comparable in size to Dunkleosteus, likely measuring about or just over 4.1 metres (13.5 ft) in length.

<i>Eldredgeops</i> Genus of trilobites

Eldredgeops is a genus of trilobites in the order Phacopida, family Phacopidae, known from the late Middle and earliest Upper Devonian of Morocco and the USA.

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Group</span> Geological Group in North America

The Hamilton Group is a Devonian-age geological group which is located in the Appalachian region of the United States. It is present in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia, northwestern Virginia and Ontario, Canada, and is mainly composed of marine shale with some sandstone.

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

Onychodus is a genus of prehistoric lobe-finned fish which lived during the Devonian period. It is one of the best known of the group of onychodontiform fishes. Scattered fossil bones of Onychodus were first discovered in 1857, in North America, and described by John Strong Newberry. Other species were found in Australia, England, Norway and Germany showing that it had a widespread range.

<i>Homosteus</i> Genus of fossil fishes

Homosteus is a genus of flattened arthrodire placoderm from the Middle Devonian. Fossils are found primarily in Eifelian-epoch aged strata of Europe, Canada, Greenland, and Estonia. All of the species had comparatively large, flattened heads with, as suggested by the upward opening orbits, upward-pointing eyes. These adaptations suggest that the various species were benthic predators. A study on Titanichthys, in contrast, suggests that species of Homosteus may have been filter-feeders instead.

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

Holonema is an extinct genus of relatively large, barrel-shaped arthrodire placoderms that were found in oceans throughout the world from the Mid to Late Devonian, when the last species perished in the Frasnian-Fammian extinction event. Most species of the genus are known from fragments of their armor, but the Gogo Reef species, H. westolli, is known from whole, articulated specimens.

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

Quasipetalichthys haikouensis is the type and only known species of the extinct petalichthid placoderm, Quasipetalichthys. Fossil remains of Quasipetalichthys have been found in the Middle Devonian, Givetian faunal stage of China.

Deinodus is a form genus that includes two species: the form found in the Onondaga Formation of western New York, Deinodus bennetti, and the form found in the Columbus and Limestone of central Ohio, Deinodus ohioensis. Both species are limited to the Eifelian age of the middle Devonian Period, which occurred 398-391 million years ago.

<i>Favosites</i> Fossil genus of corals recognised on the densely packed, polygon cells.

Favosites is an extinct genus of tabulate coral characterized by polygonal closely packed corallites. The walls between corallites are pierced by pores known as mural pores which allowed transfer of nutrients between polyps. Favosites, like many corals, thrived in warm sunlit seas, feeding by filtering microscopic plankton with their stinging tentacles and often forming part of reef complexes. The genus had a worldwide distribution from the Late Ordovician to Late Permian.

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

Holonematidae is an extinct family of relatively large arthrodire placoderms from the Early to Late Devonian. Almost all fossil specimens are of armor fragments, though, all have distinctive ornamentation, often of unique arrangements and patterns of tubercles, that are diagnostic of the family. The trunkshield is very elongated, giving the armor an overall "barrel" like appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homostiidae</span>

Homostiidae is a family of flattened arthrodire placoderms from the Early to Middle Devonian. Fossils appear in various strata in Europe, Russia, Morocco, Australia, Canada and Greenland.

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

Coccosteidae is a family of arthrodire placoderms from the Early to Late Devonian. Fossils appear in various strata in Europe, North America and China.

<i>Paraspirifer</i>

Paraspirifer is a genus of large brachiopods that lived during the late Lower and Middle Devonian in what now are Germany, Spain, Morocco and the United States.

<i>Heterosteus</i>

Heterosteus is an extinct genus of heterosteid placoderm of the Middle Devonian known from remains discovered in Europe and Greenland. According to Denison, 1978, Heterosteus might have been planktivorous, along with Homosteus, and Titanichthys.

<i>Herasmius</i>

Herasmius is an extinct genus of heterosteid placoderm from the Devonian period. Fossils have been discovered freshwater deposits in Norway and Canada.

<i>Millerosteus</i> Extinct genus of placoderm fish of the Devonian period

Millerosteus is an extinct genus of coccosteid arthrodire placoderm from the Early Givetian stage of the Middle Devonian period. Fossils are found in the Orkneys and Caithness, Scotland. It was a small placoderm with an body length of 14 cm (5.5 in). Millerosteus is one of the few arthrodires known from specimens preserving the entire skeleton.

Dickosteus is an extinct genus of coccosteid arthrodire placoderm from the Late Eifelian to Early Givetian stages of the Middle Devonian period. Fossils are found in the Orkneys and Caithness, Scotland. It was a small placoderm with a total body length of 43.7 cm (17.2 in). It is one of the few placoderms for which complete bodies are known.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Denison, Robert (1978). Placodermi Volume 2 of Handbook of Paleoichthyology. Stuttgart New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag. p. 81. ISBN   978-0-89574-027-4.
  2. Stack, Jack; Sallan, Lauren (2018-09-20). "An examination of the Devonian fishes of Michigan". PeerJ. 6: e5636. doi: 10.7717/peerj.5636 . ISSN   2167-8359. PMC   6151260 . PMID   30258725.
  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.