SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 40
Ostracoderms
A DIVERSE ASSEMBLY OF
  ANCIENT ARMOURED
      CRANIATES
TAXONOMY
 Domain: Eukarya
    Kingdom: Animalia
         Phylum: Chordata
              Subphylum: Vertebrata
                   Superclass: Agnatha
                       Class: Ostracodermi
Characteristics
 Oldest known craniates
 Date back to the middle of Ordovician until the
  end of Devonian
 Entire body was covered with bony dermal
  armour
 Bony shield head covering
 Lacked jaws
 Most lacked paired fins
 Mostly 2-3 cm long; a few reached up to 2 m long
 Heterocercal tail
 Probably were slow, bottom-dwelling animals
 Have median fins located down the midline of
  their backs
 Gills were located in pouches
 Cartilaginous internal skeletons
 A paired of side flaps aid in steering
 Mouth served to obtain oxygen and retain bits
  of food and was permanently open
 Gills were used exclusively for respiration
 Used muscular gill pouch to pull in small and slow
 moving prey
Examples of the extinct
   Ostracoderms
According to E.A. Stensiö – paleontologist at the
            University of Stockholm

 Head skeleton of cephalaspis (one species of
 an ostracoderm) was more or less flattened
 denticle-covered body shield with four
 dorsal apertures
  Two  dorsal apertures accommodated a pair of
   upward-staring eyes
  One accommodated the median or pineal eye

  Another accommodated a small, anterior opening
   that was a single naris from which a
   nasohypophyseal duct led to an olfactory sac and
   beyond
lateral field

nostril

          eye

                            Dorsal field




           Pineal foramen
 The body shield turned along its lateral edges
 Beneath the gills the body covering were tile
  like scales
 A small mouth that is lined by gills opens to
  the oropharyngeal chamber is found between
  the anterior edge of the shield and the scales
 Curved row external gill slits extends from the
  corners of the mouth to the caudal margin of
  the head shield
 Head contained an endoskeleton of endochondral
 bone and considerable cartilage
Acanthodians
Acanthodians?

 Class of Extinct species
 Share features with Bony and Cartilaginous
  fishes
      In form they resemble sharks, but their
epidermis was covered by tiny rhomboid platelets like
the scales of holosteans.
Oldest jawed fishes


Holosteans – Bony fishes (Gars, Bowfins)
Acanthodians

 Like Ostracoderms, their head and body were
 protected by a dermal armor of bony plates and
 scales
Acanthodians

 Acanthodians did have cartilaginous skeletons
 But their fins are bony based with a dentine spine


 Most Acanthodians have heterocercal caudal fins.
 Silurian to Permian Period.
 Marine/Freshwater
   -Devonian Period: Freshwater species became dominant
Diplacanthus longispinus
Orders

 Climatiiformes
   had shoulder armor and many small sharp spines




 Ischnacanthiformes
     Had teeth fused to the jaw


Acanthodiformes
       filter feeders, with no teeth in the jaw, but long gill rakers.
 Spiny Sharks
   they were superficially shark-shaped, with a streamlined body,
    paired fins, and a strongly upturned tail; stout bony spines
    supported all the fins except the tail - hence, "spiny sharks".

     However, they were not sharks.

  Skeleton consisted of bone and cartilage.
  They had a large operculum.
Brief History

 Despite being called "spiny sharks," acanthodians
  predate sharks. They evolved in the sea at the
  beginning of the Silurian Period, some 50 million
  years before the first sharks appeared.
 Later the acanthodians colonized fresh waters, and
  thrived in the rivers and lakes during
  the Devonian Period.
 But the first bony fishes were already showing their
  potential to dominate the waters of the world, and
  their competition proved too much for the spiny
  sharks, which died out in Permian times
  (approximately 250 MYA).
 Many paleonthologists consider that the
 acanthodians were close to the ancestors of the bony
 fishes. Although their interior skeletons were made
 of cartilage, a bonelike material had developed in the
 skins of these fishes, in the form of closely fitting
 scales. Some scales were greatly enlarged and formed
 a bony covering on top of the head and over the
 lower shoulder girdle. Others developed a bony flap
 over the gill openings analogous to the operculum in
 later bony fishes.
PLACODERMS
TAXONOMY
 Domain: Eukarya
    Kingdom: Animalia
         Phylum: Chordata
              Subphylum: Vertebrata
                  Class: Placodermi

                       Order: Arthrodira
                       Order Antiarchi
                       Order Rhenanida
                       Order Petalichthyida
                       Order Acanthothoraci
                       Order Ptyctodontida
Placoderms
 Greek word “tablet & skin” referring to
  their heavy armoured bony plates
 an extinct class of armored fishes
 Placoderms evolved from agnathan
  (jawless) fishes
 Abundant in the fresh waters of the
  Devonian era
 First to evolve true jaws
 First animals to exhibit internalize egg
  fertilization
Distinct Characteristics
 layer of segmented armor across the
  head and thorax
 2 paired fins
 Depending on species, the remainder
  of the body would be scaled or naked.
 sharpened points of bone which
  protrude from the head to grind their
  food.
Dunkleosteus sp.




            Order Arthrodira
Order Arthrodira

 Best known placoderms
 A heavy dermal shield covered the head
  and gill region and another covered much
  of the trunk
 2 shield meet in a movable joint
 Remainder of the body: covered with
  smaller bony scales or,in late species, was
  naked.
 2 pairs upper jaw tooth plates
 shark-like bodies
 Some very large – e.g. Dunkleosteus and
 Gorgonichthys to 6 - 9 m




 The gigantic
 superpreditor Dunkleosteus
 terrelli
Coccosteus sp.
Gorgonichthys sp.



                                         Reconstruction
                                         of placoderm
                                         Gorgonichthys,
                                         Cleveland Shale
                                         - copyright
                                         John Long,
                                         Museum
                                         Victoria


                    Gorgonichthys sp.
Order Antiarchi
 Were small placoderms
    reach a length of 15-20
    feet but majority were
    shorter
   Exhibit atypical pectoral
    fins & dorsal eyes
   Have flattened ventral
    surface
   Suggested to be bottom              Bothriolepis Canadensi
    feeders
   Have eyes on top of their
    heads
   Pectoral fins are enclosed
    in bony appendages
Order Rhenanida

Characteristics of Rhenanids:
 reduction of the thoracic
  armour
 Body is covered by small
  tesserae (small square of
  stones)
 dorso-ventrally flattened shape
 enlarged pectoral fins
 known from marine
  environments and probably
  pursued a ray-like benthic
  lifestyle

                                    Rhenanida, Gemuendina sp.
Order Petalichthyida
 Closely related to
    arthrodires
   Rarely exceeds a meter
   They are freshwater bottom
    dwellers
   Unlike the Arthrodires, they
    are bottom-feeding fish
   Flattened fish with short
    trunk and long, spine-like
    plates.
   The nostrils and the anterior
    part of the head shield
    around the orbits, is covered
    by a number of tiny scales,     Lunaspis sp.
    as is the long trunk.
Order Acanthothoraci
 Generalized by a stout
  spine emanating from the
  median dorsal plate
 Some acanthothoracids
  are similar to rays,
  expanded pectoral fins
  and flattened appearance
 Long head shields, very
  shortened trunk
                             Brindabellaspis stensioi
 With eyes and nares
  pointing upwards,
  suggesting a bottom
  dweller
Order Ptyctodontida
 have enlongate bodies
 whip-like tails
 reduced head
 thoracic armor
 Exhibits sexual
  dimorphism
 males of one
  ptyctodontid, Rhamphod    Rhamphodopis
  opis, have clasper-like
  intromittent organs
  similar to those found
  sharks and their kins
SUMMARY
Order Arthrodira (Arthrodires)
– jointed neck
–movable joint between the head and the thoracic body
Order Antiarchi (Antiarchs)
– pectoral fins are enclosed in bony tubes (pectoral
  appendages)
Order Rhenanida(Rhenanids)
– enlarged pectoral fins
– body covered by unfused scales
Order Petalichthyida (Petalichthyids)
– typified by their splayed (spread out) fins
Order Acanthothoraci
– spiny trunk
Order Ptyctodontida
– some species exhibit sexual dimorphism
– has beak-like mouth
Differences
Ostracoderms      Acanthodians      Placoderms
-oldest known     -oldest jawed     -First animals to
vertebrate        fishes            exhibit
-jawless fishes   -their skeleton   internalize egg
-lacked paired    consist of bone   fertilization
fins              and cartilage     -armored fishes
                                    with jaws

More Related Content

What's hot

Aquatic adaptations
Aquatic adaptationsAquatic adaptations
Aquatic adaptations
Govt.college,Nagda, ujjain.M.P
 

What's hot (20)

Accessory Respiratory organs in Fishes.pptx
Accessory Respiratory organs in Fishes.pptxAccessory Respiratory organs in Fishes.pptx
Accessory Respiratory organs in Fishes.pptx
 
Classification of reptiles
Classification of reptilesClassification of reptiles
Classification of reptiles
 
Bony fish powerpoint
Bony fish powerpointBony fish powerpoint
Bony fish powerpoint
 
General characters amphibia
General characters amphibiaGeneral characters amphibia
General characters amphibia
 
Protochordates
ProtochordatesProtochordates
Protochordates
 
Fish locomotion Notes
Fish locomotion NotesFish locomotion Notes
Fish locomotion Notes
 
Parental care in Amphibians
Parental care in AmphibiansParental care in Amphibians
Parental care in Amphibians
 
Electric organs in fishes 1
Electric  organs in fishes 1Electric  organs in fishes 1
Electric organs in fishes 1
 
Alimentary canal and feeding adaptations in fishes by nusrit
Alimentary canal and feeding adaptations in fishes by nusritAlimentary canal and feeding adaptations in fishes by nusrit
Alimentary canal and feeding adaptations in fishes by nusrit
 
Aquatic adaptations
Aquatic adaptationsAquatic adaptations
Aquatic adaptations
 
Origin of chordata
Origin of chordataOrigin of chordata
Origin of chordata
 
Respiratory System
Respiratory SystemRespiratory System
Respiratory System
 
Accessory respiratory organ in fishes
Accessory respiratory organ in fishesAccessory respiratory organ in fishes
Accessory respiratory organ in fishes
 
Scale of fishes
Scale of fishesScale of fishes
Scale of fishes
 
Agnatha
AgnathaAgnatha
Agnatha
 
Adaptive radiation in reptiles copy
Adaptive radiation in reptiles copyAdaptive radiation in reptiles copy
Adaptive radiation in reptiles copy
 
Classification of amphibia
Classification of amphibiaClassification of amphibia
Classification of amphibia
 
Flightless bird
Flightless birdFlightless bird
Flightless bird
 
Reptiles class
Reptiles classReptiles class
Reptiles class
 
COLORATION IN FISHES: its Regulation and significance by GAZEE OWAIS
COLORATION IN FISHES:  its Regulation and  significance by GAZEE OWAIS COLORATION IN FISHES:  its Regulation and  significance by GAZEE OWAIS
COLORATION IN FISHES: its Regulation and significance by GAZEE OWAIS
 

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (11)

Clown Fish
Clown FishClown Fish
Clown Fish
 
Evolution
EvolutionEvolution
Evolution
 
Agnathan (By: J.Q)
Agnathan (By: J.Q)Agnathan (By: J.Q)
Agnathan (By: J.Q)
 
Fish
FishFish
Fish
 
Jawless fishes powerpoint
Jawless fishes powerpointJawless fishes powerpoint
Jawless fishes powerpoint
 
Agnathans 2
Agnathans 2Agnathans 2
Agnathans 2
 
12 Chordata
12 Chordata12 Chordata
12 Chordata
 
evolution of jaw
evolution of jawevolution of jaw
evolution of jaw
 
Mineral metabolism
Mineral metabolismMineral metabolism
Mineral metabolism
 
Mineral Metabolism
Mineral MetabolismMineral Metabolism
Mineral Metabolism
 
Agnathan Fish Notes
Agnathan Fish NotesAgnathan Fish Notes
Agnathan Fish Notes
 

Similar to Comp.ana. ostracoderms,acanthodians,placoderms

Chordata - Bio 11
Chordata - Bio 11Chordata - Bio 11
Chordata - Bio 11
Reitmans
 
Phylum Chordata
Phylum ChordataPhylum Chordata
Phylum Chordata
earland
 
Diversity Of Fish And Amphibians
Diversity Of Fish And AmphibiansDiversity Of Fish And Amphibians
Diversity Of Fish And Amphibians
Tia Hohler
 
TELEOSTOMI
TELEOSTOMITELEOSTOMI
TELEOSTOMI
JericcaArsenal
 
Fish 15 1
Fish 15 1Fish 15 1
Fish 15 1
Tamara
 
17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes
17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes
17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes
mgitterm
 

Similar to Comp.ana. ostracoderms,acanthodians,placoderms (20)

Chordata - Bio 11
Chordata - Bio 11Chordata - Bio 11
Chordata - Bio 11
 
Phylum Chordata
Phylum ChordataPhylum Chordata
Phylum Chordata
 
Diversity Of Fish And Amphibians
Diversity Of Fish And AmphibiansDiversity Of Fish And Amphibians
Diversity Of Fish And Amphibians
 
TELEOSTOMI
TELEOSTOMITELEOSTOMI
TELEOSTOMI
 
Animal kingdom Part ii
Animal kingdom Part iiAnimal kingdom Part ii
Animal kingdom Part ii
 
Fish 15 1
Fish 15 1Fish 15 1
Fish 15 1
 
Cartilaginous fish
Cartilaginous fishCartilaginous fish
Cartilaginous fish
 
Anfibios 2
Anfibios 2Anfibios 2
Anfibios 2
 
Reptalia 1.pptx
Reptalia 1.pptxReptalia 1.pptx
Reptalia 1.pptx
 
Reptalia 1.pptx
Reptalia 1.pptxReptalia 1.pptx
Reptalia 1.pptx
 
Chordata gnathostomata: TAXONOMY: T. Y. B.Sc. Zoology, Sem. VI; Course Code-U...
Chordata gnathostomata: TAXONOMY: T. Y. B.Sc. Zoology, Sem. VI; Course Code-U...Chordata gnathostomata: TAXONOMY: T. Y. B.Sc. Zoology, Sem. VI; Course Code-U...
Chordata gnathostomata: TAXONOMY: T. Y. B.Sc. Zoology, Sem. VI; Course Code-U...
 
17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes
17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes
17. Class Chondrichthyes Notes
 
The vertebrates
The vertebratesThe vertebrates
The vertebrates
 
Group 5 amphibia
Group 5   amphibiaGroup 5   amphibia
Group 5 amphibia
 
Fishes Zoology Report
Fishes Zoology ReportFishes Zoology Report
Fishes Zoology Report
 
Class osteichthyans
Class osteichthyansClass osteichthyans
Class osteichthyans
 
Fish
FishFish
Fish
 
Evolution of fish (Early fish)
Evolution of fish (Early fish)Evolution of fish (Early fish)
Evolution of fish (Early fish)
 
Evolution of fish (Early fish)
Evolution of fish (Early fish)Evolution of fish (Early fish)
Evolution of fish (Early fish)
 
Vertebrata
VertebrataVertebrata
Vertebrata
 

More from Emma Louise Fernandez (20)

Marine invertebrates
Marine invertebratesMarine invertebrates
Marine invertebrates
 
Archosaurs
ArchosaursArchosaurs
Archosaurs
 
Ich and ple
Ich and pleIch and ple
Ich and ple
 
Diapsids
DiapsidsDiapsids
Diapsids
 
Crocodilians
CrocodiliansCrocodilians
Crocodilians
 
Aves neornithes
Aves neornithesAves neornithes
Aves neornithes
 
Anurans
AnuransAnurans
Anurans
 
Archosaurs
ArchosaursArchosaurs
Archosaurs
 
Chemical and physical features of seawater and the
Chemical and physical features of seawater and theChemical and physical features of seawater and the
Chemical and physical features of seawater and the
 
activity 3-lamprey
activity 3-lampreyactivity 3-lamprey
activity 3-lamprey
 
activity 5 - Osteichthyes
activity 5 - Osteichthyesactivity 5 - Osteichthyes
activity 5 - Osteichthyes
 
activity 2 - amphioxus
activity 2 - amphioxusactivity 2 - amphioxus
activity 2 - amphioxus
 
Rivers and streams
Rivers and streamsRivers and streams
Rivers and streams
 
Experiment 16
Experiment 16Experiment 16
Experiment 16
 
Tundra1
Tundra1Tundra1
Tundra1
 
Sulfur cycle
Sulfur cycleSulfur cycle
Sulfur cycle
 
Rainforest ecosystem
Rainforest ecosystemRainforest ecosystem
Rainforest ecosystem
 
Rainforest ecosystem
Rainforest ecosystemRainforest ecosystem
Rainforest ecosystem
 
Rainforest animals and their adaptations
Rainforest animals and their adaptationsRainforest animals and their adaptations
Rainforest animals and their adaptations
 
Human intervention in the sulfur cycle
Human intervention in the sulfur cycleHuman intervention in the sulfur cycle
Human intervention in the sulfur cycle
 

Recently uploaded

CNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of Service
CNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of ServiceCNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of Service
CNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of Service
giselly40
 
Histor y of HAM Radio presentation slide
Histor y of HAM Radio presentation slideHistor y of HAM Radio presentation slide
Histor y of HAM Radio presentation slide
vu2urc
 

Recently uploaded (20)

CNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of Service
CNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of ServiceCNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of Service
CNv6 Instructor Chapter 6 Quality of Service
 
04-2024-HHUG-Sales-and-Marketing-Alignment.pptx
04-2024-HHUG-Sales-and-Marketing-Alignment.pptx04-2024-HHUG-Sales-and-Marketing-Alignment.pptx
04-2024-HHUG-Sales-and-Marketing-Alignment.pptx
 
Breaking the Kubernetes Kill Chain: Host Path Mount
Breaking the Kubernetes Kill Chain: Host Path MountBreaking the Kubernetes Kill Chain: Host Path Mount
Breaking the Kubernetes Kill Chain: Host Path Mount
 
Apidays Singapore 2024 - Building Digital Trust in a Digital Economy by Veron...
Apidays Singapore 2024 - Building Digital Trust in a Digital Economy by Veron...Apidays Singapore 2024 - Building Digital Trust in a Digital Economy by Veron...
Apidays Singapore 2024 - Building Digital Trust in a Digital Economy by Veron...
 
Raspberry Pi 5: Challenges and Solutions in Bringing up an OpenGL/Vulkan Driv...
Raspberry Pi 5: Challenges and Solutions in Bringing up an OpenGL/Vulkan Driv...Raspberry Pi 5: Challenges and Solutions in Bringing up an OpenGL/Vulkan Driv...
Raspberry Pi 5: Challenges and Solutions in Bringing up an OpenGL/Vulkan Driv...
 
Powerful Google developer tools for immediate impact! (2023-24 C)
Powerful Google developer tools for immediate impact! (2023-24 C)Powerful Google developer tools for immediate impact! (2023-24 C)
Powerful Google developer tools for immediate impact! (2023-24 C)
 
08448380779 Call Girls In Diplomatic Enclave Women Seeking Men
08448380779 Call Girls In Diplomatic Enclave Women Seeking Men08448380779 Call Girls In Diplomatic Enclave Women Seeking Men
08448380779 Call Girls In Diplomatic Enclave Women Seeking Men
 
TrustArc Webinar - Stay Ahead of US State Data Privacy Law Developments
TrustArc Webinar - Stay Ahead of US State Data Privacy Law DevelopmentsTrustArc Webinar - Stay Ahead of US State Data Privacy Law Developments
TrustArc Webinar - Stay Ahead of US State Data Privacy Law Developments
 
Histor y of HAM Radio presentation slide
Histor y of HAM Radio presentation slideHistor y of HAM Radio presentation slide
Histor y of HAM Radio presentation slide
 
Tata AIG General Insurance Company - Insurer Innovation Award 2024
Tata AIG General Insurance Company - Insurer Innovation Award 2024Tata AIG General Insurance Company - Insurer Innovation Award 2024
Tata AIG General Insurance Company - Insurer Innovation Award 2024
 
A Domino Admins Adventures (Engage 2024)
A Domino Admins Adventures (Engage 2024)A Domino Admins Adventures (Engage 2024)
A Domino Admins Adventures (Engage 2024)
 
From Event to Action: Accelerate Your Decision Making with Real-Time Automation
From Event to Action: Accelerate Your Decision Making with Real-Time AutomationFrom Event to Action: Accelerate Your Decision Making with Real-Time Automation
From Event to Action: Accelerate Your Decision Making with Real-Time Automation
 
GenCyber Cyber Security Day Presentation
GenCyber Cyber Security Day PresentationGenCyber Cyber Security Day Presentation
GenCyber Cyber Security Day Presentation
 
A Year of the Servo Reboot: Where Are We Now?
A Year of the Servo Reboot: Where Are We Now?A Year of the Servo Reboot: Where Are We Now?
A Year of the Servo Reboot: Where Are We Now?
 
08448380779 Call Girls In Friends Colony Women Seeking Men
08448380779 Call Girls In Friends Colony Women Seeking Men08448380779 Call Girls In Friends Colony Women Seeking Men
08448380779 Call Girls In Friends Colony Women Seeking Men
 
The 7 Things I Know About Cyber Security After 25 Years | April 2024
The 7 Things I Know About Cyber Security After 25 Years | April 2024The 7 Things I Know About Cyber Security After 25 Years | April 2024
The 7 Things I Know About Cyber Security After 25 Years | April 2024
 
Presentation on how to chat with PDF using ChatGPT code interpreter
Presentation on how to chat with PDF using ChatGPT code interpreterPresentation on how to chat with PDF using ChatGPT code interpreter
Presentation on how to chat with PDF using ChatGPT code interpreter
 
[2024]Digital Global Overview Report 2024 Meltwater.pdf
[2024]Digital Global Overview Report 2024 Meltwater.pdf[2024]Digital Global Overview Report 2024 Meltwater.pdf
[2024]Digital Global Overview Report 2024 Meltwater.pdf
 
The Codex of Business Writing Software for Real-World Solutions 2.pptx
The Codex of Business Writing Software for Real-World Solutions 2.pptxThe Codex of Business Writing Software for Real-World Solutions 2.pptx
The Codex of Business Writing Software for Real-World Solutions 2.pptx
 
A Call to Action for Generative AI in 2024
A Call to Action for Generative AI in 2024A Call to Action for Generative AI in 2024
A Call to Action for Generative AI in 2024
 

Comp.ana. ostracoderms,acanthodians,placoderms

  • 1. Ostracoderms A DIVERSE ASSEMBLY OF ANCIENT ARMOURED CRANIATES
  • 2. TAXONOMY Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Superclass: Agnatha Class: Ostracodermi
  • 3. Characteristics  Oldest known craniates  Date back to the middle of Ordovician until the end of Devonian  Entire body was covered with bony dermal armour  Bony shield head covering  Lacked jaws  Most lacked paired fins  Mostly 2-3 cm long; a few reached up to 2 m long  Heterocercal tail
  • 4.  Probably were slow, bottom-dwelling animals  Have median fins located down the midline of their backs  Gills were located in pouches  Cartilaginous internal skeletons  A paired of side flaps aid in steering  Mouth served to obtain oxygen and retain bits of food and was permanently open  Gills were used exclusively for respiration
  • 5.  Used muscular gill pouch to pull in small and slow moving prey
  • 6.
  • 7. Examples of the extinct Ostracoderms
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10. According to E.A. Stensiö – paleontologist at the University of Stockholm  Head skeleton of cephalaspis (one species of an ostracoderm) was more or less flattened denticle-covered body shield with four dorsal apertures  Two dorsal apertures accommodated a pair of upward-staring eyes  One accommodated the median or pineal eye  Another accommodated a small, anterior opening that was a single naris from which a nasohypophyseal duct led to an olfactory sac and beyond
  • 11. lateral field nostril eye Dorsal field Pineal foramen
  • 12.
  • 13.  The body shield turned along its lateral edges  Beneath the gills the body covering were tile like scales  A small mouth that is lined by gills opens to the oropharyngeal chamber is found between the anterior edge of the shield and the scales  Curved row external gill slits extends from the corners of the mouth to the caudal margin of the head shield
  • 14.  Head contained an endoskeleton of endochondral bone and considerable cartilage
  • 16. Acanthodians?  Class of Extinct species  Share features with Bony and Cartilaginous fishes In form they resemble sharks, but their epidermis was covered by tiny rhomboid platelets like the scales of holosteans. Oldest jawed fishes Holosteans – Bony fishes (Gars, Bowfins)
  • 17.
  • 18. Acanthodians  Like Ostracoderms, their head and body were protected by a dermal armor of bony plates and scales
  • 19. Acanthodians  Acanthodians did have cartilaginous skeletons  But their fins are bony based with a dentine spine  Most Acanthodians have heterocercal caudal fins.  Silurian to Permian Period.  Marine/Freshwater  -Devonian Period: Freshwater species became dominant
  • 21. Orders  Climatiiformes  had shoulder armor and many small sharp spines  Ischnacanthiformes Had teeth fused to the jaw Acanthodiformes filter feeders, with no teeth in the jaw, but long gill rakers.
  • 22.  Spiny Sharks  they were superficially shark-shaped, with a streamlined body, paired fins, and a strongly upturned tail; stout bony spines supported all the fins except the tail - hence, "spiny sharks".  However, they were not sharks. Skeleton consisted of bone and cartilage. They had a large operculum.
  • 23. Brief History  Despite being called "spiny sharks," acanthodians predate sharks. They evolved in the sea at the beginning of the Silurian Period, some 50 million years before the first sharks appeared.  Later the acanthodians colonized fresh waters, and thrived in the rivers and lakes during the Devonian Period.  But the first bony fishes were already showing their potential to dominate the waters of the world, and their competition proved too much for the spiny sharks, which died out in Permian times (approximately 250 MYA).
  • 24.  Many paleonthologists consider that the acanthodians were close to the ancestors of the bony fishes. Although their interior skeletons were made of cartilage, a bonelike material had developed in the skins of these fishes, in the form of closely fitting scales. Some scales were greatly enlarged and formed a bony covering on top of the head and over the lower shoulder girdle. Others developed a bony flap over the gill openings analogous to the operculum in later bony fishes.
  • 26. TAXONOMY Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Placodermi Order: Arthrodira Order Antiarchi Order Rhenanida Order Petalichthyida Order Acanthothoraci Order Ptyctodontida
  • 27. Placoderms  Greek word “tablet & skin” referring to their heavy armoured bony plates  an extinct class of armored fishes  Placoderms evolved from agnathan (jawless) fishes  Abundant in the fresh waters of the Devonian era  First to evolve true jaws  First animals to exhibit internalize egg fertilization
  • 28. Distinct Characteristics  layer of segmented armor across the head and thorax  2 paired fins  Depending on species, the remainder of the body would be scaled or naked.  sharpened points of bone which protrude from the head to grind their food.
  • 29. Dunkleosteus sp. Order Arthrodira
  • 30. Order Arthrodira  Best known placoderms  A heavy dermal shield covered the head and gill region and another covered much of the trunk  2 shield meet in a movable joint  Remainder of the body: covered with smaller bony scales or,in late species, was naked.  2 pairs upper jaw tooth plates
  • 31.  shark-like bodies  Some very large – e.g. Dunkleosteus and Gorgonichthys to 6 - 9 m The gigantic superpreditor Dunkleosteus terrelli
  • 33. Gorgonichthys sp.  Reconstruction of placoderm Gorgonichthys, Cleveland Shale - copyright John Long, Museum Victoria Gorgonichthys sp.
  • 34. Order Antiarchi  Were small placoderms reach a length of 15-20 feet but majority were shorter  Exhibit atypical pectoral fins & dorsal eyes  Have flattened ventral surface  Suggested to be bottom Bothriolepis Canadensi feeders  Have eyes on top of their heads  Pectoral fins are enclosed in bony appendages
  • 35. Order Rhenanida Characteristics of Rhenanids:  reduction of the thoracic armour  Body is covered by small tesserae (small square of stones)  dorso-ventrally flattened shape  enlarged pectoral fins  known from marine environments and probably pursued a ray-like benthic lifestyle Rhenanida, Gemuendina sp.
  • 36. Order Petalichthyida  Closely related to arthrodires  Rarely exceeds a meter  They are freshwater bottom dwellers  Unlike the Arthrodires, they are bottom-feeding fish  Flattened fish with short trunk and long, spine-like plates.  The nostrils and the anterior part of the head shield around the orbits, is covered by a number of tiny scales, Lunaspis sp. as is the long trunk.
  • 37. Order Acanthothoraci  Generalized by a stout spine emanating from the median dorsal plate  Some acanthothoracids are similar to rays, expanded pectoral fins and flattened appearance  Long head shields, very shortened trunk Brindabellaspis stensioi  With eyes and nares pointing upwards, suggesting a bottom dweller
  • 38. Order Ptyctodontida  have enlongate bodies  whip-like tails  reduced head  thoracic armor  Exhibits sexual dimorphism  males of one ptyctodontid, Rhamphod Rhamphodopis opis, have clasper-like intromittent organs similar to those found sharks and their kins
  • 39. SUMMARY Order Arthrodira (Arthrodires) – jointed neck –movable joint between the head and the thoracic body Order Antiarchi (Antiarchs) – pectoral fins are enclosed in bony tubes (pectoral appendages) Order Rhenanida(Rhenanids) – enlarged pectoral fins – body covered by unfused scales Order Petalichthyida (Petalichthyids) – typified by their splayed (spread out) fins Order Acanthothoraci – spiny trunk Order Ptyctodontida – some species exhibit sexual dimorphism – has beak-like mouth
  • 40. Differences Ostracoderms Acanthodians Placoderms -oldest known -oldest jawed -First animals to vertebrate fishes exhibit -jawless fishes -their skeleton internalize egg -lacked paired consist of bone fertilization fins and cartilage -armored fishes with jaws