Errivaspis

<i>Errivaspis</i>

Errivaspis

Extinct genus of jawless fishes


Errivaspis is an extinct genus of pteraspid heterostracan agnathan vertebrate known from fossils at the Wayne Hereford Quarry, of Early Devonian England, and of Podolia, Early Devonian Ukraine. It was originally described by Dr. Errol Ivor White as one of five form-variants of Pteraspis rostrata, i.e., "Pteraspis rostrata var. waynesis.[1] In 1984, Alain Blieck moved var. waynesis into its own genus, Errivaspis, which he named after Dr. White.[1][2] Other later researchers would then mistakenly assume that Blieck synonymized the entire genus of Pteraspis into Errivaspis.

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

Description

Errivaspis had large dorsal plates and ventral plates, the linking branchial plate, as well as a cornual plate at the side, an orbital plate around the eye. A rostral plate formed a pointed ‘snout’, several small plates around the mouth, and a dorsal spine pointing backwards. The posterior half of the body was covered with small scales. The caudal fin was fan-shaped.


References

  1. Dineley, David L.; Metcalf, S. J. (1999). Fossil fishes of Great Britain (Volume 16 of Geological conservation review series). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. pp. 133, 134(675). ISBN 9781861074706.
  2. Blieck, Alain. "Les Hétérostracés Ptéraspidiformes, Agnathes du Silurien-Dévonien du Continent nord-atlantique et des blocs avoisinants: révision systématique, phylogénie, biostratigraphie, biogéographie." (1984).
  • Michael J. Benton, "Vertebrate Palaeontology" 3rd Edition, p. 48 - 49 (Blackwell Publishing, 2005)



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