Heterosteidae

Heterosteidae
Temporal range: Devonian: Emsian to Givetian, 407.6–382.7 Ma
Comparison of genera
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Arthrodira
Suborder: Brachythoraci
Clade: Eubrachythoraci
Clade: Pachyosteomorphi
Superfamily: Dunkleosteoidea
Family: Heterosteidae
Jaekel, 1903
Genera

Heterosteidae (also known as Heterostiidae[1][2]) is an extinct family of moderately large to giant, flattened, benthic arthrodire placoderms with distinctive, flattened, triangular skulls that are extremely broad posteriorly, but become very narrow anteriorly.[3]

Heterosteidae belongs to the superfamily Dunkleosteoidea, a relative of the giant Dunkleosteus, as shown in the cladogram below:[1]

Dunkleosteoidea
  1. ^ a b Zhu, You-An; Zhu, Min; Wang, Jun-Qing (1 April 2016). "Redescription of Yinostius major (Arthrodira: Heterostiidae) from the Lower Devonian of China, and the interrelationships of Brachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 176 (4): 806–834. doi:10.1111/zoj.12356. ISSN 0024-4082.
  2. ^ Schultze, Hans-Peter; Cumbaa, Stephen L. (26 April 2017). "A new Early Devonian (Emsian) arthrodire from the Northwest Territories, Canada, and its significance for paleogeographic reconstruction". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 54 (5): 461–476. Bibcode:2017CaJES..54..461S. doi:10.1139/cjes-2017-0013. hdl:1807/76893.
  3. ^ Denison, Robert (1978). Placodermi Volume 2 of Handbook of Paleoichthyology. Stuttgart New York: Gustav Fischer Verlag. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-89574-027-4.