Ateleaspis
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Ateleaspis Fossil range: Early Silurian to Early Devonian |
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Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
Fossil
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Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
Ateleaspis tessellata Alexander Ritchie, 1967 |
Ateleaspis is an extinct genus of primitive ostracoderm fish that lived in the Early Silurian to Early Devonian periods. Like other ostracoderms, Ateleaspis had a head shield similar to that of Cephalaspis. Species from Silurian period were found in Norway and Scotland, but now has been found also in Siberia from Early Devonian period.
[edit] Description
Ateleaspis possibly is the the most basal vertebrate with paired fins. Ateleaspis was a small fish (about 15 - 20 cm) and had a flat headshield a narrow trunk covered by brick-like scales.