Microbrachius

Microbrachius Temporal range: Emsian to Upper Givetian
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	†Placodermi
Order:	†Antiarchi
Family:	†Microbrachiidae
Genus:	†Microbrachius Traquair, 1888
Type species
Microbrachius dicki Traquair, 1888
Species
M. dicki Traquair, 1888 M. sinensis Pan, 1984 M. chuandongensis Wang & Zhang, 1999 M. kedoae Mark-Kurik et al., 2018
Synonyms
Microbrachium Woodward, 1891 (Missp.) Microbrachius stegmanni Hoffmann 1911

Microbrachius is an extinct genus of tiny, advanced antiarch placoderms closely related to the bothriolepids. Specimens range in age from the Lower Devonian Late Emsian Stage (393.3 Ma) to the Middle Devonian Upper Givetian Stage (382.7 Ma). They are characterized by having large heads with short thoracic armor of an average length of 2–4 cm. There are patterns of small, but noticeable tubercles on the armor, with the arrangement varying from species to species. Specimens of Microbrachius have been found in Scotland, Belarus, Estonia, and China.

Microbrachius dicki is the earliest placoderm and vertebrate that shows evidence of internal fertilization.^[1]