Amphiaspis

Amphiaspis argo
Temporal range: Early Emsian
Amphiaspis argo reconstruction
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Pteraspidomorphi
Subclass: Heterostraci
Order: Cyathaspidiformes
(unranked): Amphiaspidida
Superfamily: Amphiaspidoidei
Family: Amphiaspididae
Obruchev, 1936
Genus: Amphiaspis
Species: A. argo
Binomial name
Amphiaspis argo
Obruchev, 1936

Amphiaspis argo is the type species of the cyathaspidid taxon Amphiaspidida, and of the family Amphiaspididae. [1] Its fossils are restricted to early Emsian-aged marine strata of the Taimyr Peninsula, Early Devonian Siberia. A. argo, as with all other amphiaspidids, is thought to have been a benthic filter feeder that lived on top of, or buried just below the surface of the substrate of hypersaline lagoon-bottoms.

Anatomy

So far, A. argos is known from at least one, incomplete cephalothoracic armor that is shaped vaguely like a pillow and is, from anterior to posterior, 24 centimeters long.[1] The armor has a pattern of lateral sensory line canals. There is a prominent dorsal spine on the dorsoposterior end of the cephalothoracic armor. The animal had small, possibly degenerate eyes that were flanked laterally by a small, crescent-shaped preorbital opening at the anterior end of the armor. The small eyes, in turn, laterally flank a small, slit-shaped mouth at the center of the anterior-most end of the cephalothorax.

References

  1. 1 2 Novitskaya, Larisse. Les amphiaspides (Heterostraci) du Devonien de la Siberie. Éditions du Centre national de la recherche scientifique, 1971.
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