Acanthothoraci

Acanthothoraci
Temporal range: Early to Middle Devonian
Weejasperaspis gavini, Murrindalaspis wallacei & Brindabellaspis stensioi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: †Placodermi
Order: †Acanthothoraci
Stensiö, 1944
Families

Weejasperaspididae †
Hagiangellidae[1] †
Palaeacanthaspidae †

Synonyms
  • Acanthothoraciformes

Acanthothoraci (spine chests) is an extinct group of chimaera-like placoderms closely related to the rhenanid placoderms. Superficially, the acanthoracids resembled scaly chimaeras and (relatively) heavily armored ptyctodonts. They were distinguished from chimaeras by their large scales and plates, a pair of large spines that emanate from their chests (thus, the order's name), tooth-like beak plates, and the typical bone-enhanced placoderm eyeball. They were distinguished from other placoderms by differences in skull anatomy and by patterns on the skull plates and thoracic plates that are unique to this order.

  1. ^ Dupret, V. et al, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(3):531–538, May 2011 ©2011 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology "THE SKULL OF HAGIANGELLA GOUJETI JANVIER, 2005, A HIGH-CRESTED ACANTHOTHORACID (VERTEBRATA, PLACODERMI) FROM THE LOWER DEVONIAN OF NORTHERN VIETNAM"