New antiarchs (Devonian placoderm fishes) from Queensland, with comments on placoderm phylogeny and biogeography

Abstract

Two new antiarchs are described from the Middle Devonian of the Broken River area of northern Queensland. Wurungulepis denisoni gen. et sp.nov. is an asterolepidoid represented by a single articulated trunk armour with associated pectoral fin bones and scales. It is referred to the family Pterichthyodidae, and most closely resembles the European genus Gerdalepis, but its trunk-armour proportions and scale are distinctive. Nawagiaspis wadeae gen. et sp.nov. came from a higher horizon in the Broken River Formation, of probable Givetian age. It combines various morphological characters previously regarded as typical of the asterolepidoids, or of the bothriolepidoids. It is referred to the latter group on the evidence of the cheek attachment. New information is provided on the structure of the jaws and cheek in antiarchs. -from Author Show more