French
DeutschDartmuthia
| Dartmuthia Temporal range: Ludlow, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Head shield of Dartmuthia gemmifera (AMNH 8465) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Osteostraci |
| Order: | †Thyestiida |
| Family: | †Tremataspidae |
| Genus: | †Dartmuthia Patten, 1931[1] |
| Type species | |
| †Dartmuthia gemmifera Patten, 1931 | |
| Species | |
| |
Dartmuthia is an extinct genus of primitive jawless fish that lived in the Silurian period. Fossils of Dartmuthia have been found in Himmiste Quarry, on the island of Saaremaa in Estonia. It was first described by William Patten.[2]
Dartmuthia is one of the only osteostracans in which material of the trunk and tail behind the armored head shield have 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.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Märss, T.; Afanassieva, O.; Blom, H. (June 2014). "Biodiversity of the Silurian osteostracans of the East Baltic". Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 105 (2): 73–148. doi:10.1017/S1755691014000218. ISSN 1755-6910. S2CID 131496210. Retrieved 28 December 2021.
- ^ Robertson, G. M. (1935). "The ostracoderm genus Dartmuthia Patten". American Journal of Science. Series 5. 29 (172): 323–335. Bibcode:1935AmJS...29..323R. doi:10.2475/ajs.s5-29.172.323.
- ^ Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 25. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
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