A large Middle Devonian eubrachythoracid ‘placoderm’ (Arthrodira) jaw from northern Gondwana - Sorbonne Université
Article Dans Une Revue Swiss Journal of Palaeontology Année : 2021

A large Middle Devonian eubrachythoracid ‘placoderm’ (Arthrodira) jaw from northern Gondwana

Résumé

For the understanding of the evolution of jawed vertebrates and jaws and teeth, 'placoderms' are crucial as they exhibit an impressive morphological disparity associated with the early stages of this process. The Devonian of Morocco is famous for its rich occurrences of arthrodire 'placoderms'. While Late Devonian strata are rich in arthrodire remains, they are less common in older strata. Here, we describe a large tooth-bearing jaw element of Leptodontichthys ziregensis gen. et sp. nov., an eubrachythoracid arthrodire from the Middle Devonian of Morocco. This species is based on a large posterior superognathal with a strong dentition. The jawbone displays features considered synapomorphies of Late Devonian eubrachythoracid arthrodires, with one posterior and one lateral row of conical teeth oriented postero-lingually. μCT-images reveal internal structures including pulp cavities and dentinous tissues. The posterior orientation of the teeth and the traces of a putative occlusal contact on the lingual side of the bone imply that these teeth were hardly used for feeding. Similar to Compagopiscis and Plourdosteus, functional teeth were possibly present during an earlier developmental stage and have been worn entirely. The morphological features of the jaw element suggest a close relationship with plourdosteids. Its size implies that the animal was rather large.

Domaines

Paléontologie
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Dates et versions

hal-03117709 , version 1 (21-01-2021)

Identifiants

Citer

Melina Jobbins, Martin Rücklin, Thodoris Argyriou, Christian Klug. A large Middle Devonian eubrachythoracid ‘placoderm’ (Arthrodira) jaw from northern Gondwana. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology, 2021, 140 (1), ⟨10.1186/s13358-020-00212-w⟩. ⟨hal-03117709⟩
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