Dartmuthia

Dartmuthia
Temporal range: Late Silurian
Head shield of Dartmuthia gemmifera (AMNH 8465)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Osteostraci
Order: Thyestiida
Superfamily: †Tremataspidoidea
Family: †Tremataspididae
Genus: Dartmuthia

Dartmuthia is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish that lived in the Silurian period in what is now Estonia.

To date only the creature's armored head shield (a typical trait for osteostracids) has been found. Since the mouth is positioned on the underside of the head Dartmuthia is presumed to have dwelled on the ocean floor, sucking its food into its mouth.[1]

References

  1. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 25. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, April 26, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.