Dunkleosteoidea

Extinct superfamily of fishes

Dunkleosteoidea
Temporal range: Late Emsian to Late Famennian, ~393.3–358.9 Ma
PreꞒ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Dunkleosteus terrelli skull, Queensland Museum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Arthrodira
Suborder: Brachythoraci
Clade: Eubrachythoraci
Clade: Pachyosteomorphi
Superfamily: Dunkleosteoidea
Vezina, 1990
Contained taxa

Dunkleosteoidea is an extinct superfamily of arthrodire placoderms that lived during the Devonian period. The gigantic apex predator Dunkleosteus terrelli is the best known member of this group.

Phylogeny

Eubrachythoraci is divided into the clades Coccosteomorphi and Pachyosteomorphi, the latter of which can be further sub-divided into Aspinothoracidi and Dunkleosteoidea. Dunkleosteoidea was then considered to consist of the two sister families Dunkleosteidae and Panxiosteidae.[1][2]

However, the 2016 Zhu et al. phylogenetic study using a larger morphological dataset recovered Panxiosteidae well outside of Dunkleosteoidea, leaving the status of Dunkleosteidae as a clade grouping separate from Dunkleosteoidea in doubt, as shown in the cladogram below:[3]

Eubrachythoraci
Coccosteomorphi
Pachyosteomorphi

References

  1. ^ Carr, R.K.; Hlavin, W.J. (2010). "Two new species of Dunkleosteus Lehman, 1956, from the Ohio Shale Formation (USA, Famennian) and the Kettle Point Formation (Canada, Upper Devonian), and a cladistic analysis of the Eubrachythoraci (Placodermi, Arthrodira)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 159 (1): 195–222. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2009.00578.x.
  2. ^ You-An Zhu; Min Zhu (2013). "A redescription of Kiangyousteus yohii (Arthrodira: Eubrachythoraci) from the Middle Devonian of China, with remarks on the systematics of the Eubrachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 169 (4): 798–819. doi:10.1111/zoj12089.
  3. ^ 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.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Gnathostomata
    • see Gnathostomata
Placodermi
    • see Placodermi
Arthrodira
    • see below↓
Wuttagoonaspidae
Phyllolepida
Phyllolepididae
Actinolepidae
Phlyctaeniidae
Arctolepididae
Groenlandaspididae
Williamsaspididae
  • Elvaspis
  • Williamsaspis
Holonematidae
Homostiidae
Migmatocephala
Buchanosteidae
Eubrachythoraci
    • see below↓
Kudjanowiaspis

Ailuracantha dorsofelis Dicksonosteus arctirus Cartieraspis

Groenlandaspis riniensis
Coccosteomorphi
Coccosteoidea
Coccosteidae
Panxiosteidae
Incisoscutoidea
Camuropiscidae
Pachyosteomorphi
Dunkleosteoidea
Heterosteidae
Aspinothoracidi
Brachydeiridae
Selenosteidae
Coccosteus cuspidatus Dunkleosteus terrelli Titanichthys termieri
Taxon identifiers
Dunkleosteoidea