Pteraspid

Pteraspid Temporal range: Upper Silurian-Devonian
Lamiaspis longiripa
Scientific classification
Unrecognized taxon (fix):	Pteraspidiformes
Suborders and families
Anchipteraspididae Podolaspididae Protopteraspididae Psammosteida Drepanaspididae Guerichosteidae Obrucheviidae Psammolepididae Psammosteidae Pycnosteidae Pteraspidoidei Gigantaspididae Larnovaspididae Pteraspididae Protaspididae Rhinopteraspididae Skalviaspididae

Pteraspids were early agnathan vertebrates. They lived from later Silurian to the end of the Devonian. Fossils are found in Europe and North America.

The whole group has the head and front of the body armoured. Delicate, finger-like parts of the plates were at the edges of the mouth. This suggests they were filter feeders taking plankton from the water column.

Pteraspid Media

• 

  Rhinopteraspis fossil

• 

  Restoration of Larnovaspis

References

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