Biology:Psammosteida

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Psammosteida also called as Psammosteoidei is a suborder of pteraspidid heterostracan agnathans. The psammosteids had broad, flattened bodies, suggesting a predominantly benthic habit. The earliest unequivocal psammosteid is Drepanaspis of Early Devonian Germany.[1] Other notable psammosteids include Psammosteus, and Obruchevia, two genera of enormous species with dorsal shields around one meter in diameter. The Psammosteids were the only heterostracans to survive to the end of the Devonian, where they finally perish during the Hangenberg event.

Classification

Internal relationships

Taxonomy

The following families and genera were recognised by Glinskiy (2017) in the suborder Psammosteoidei:[2]

Suborder Psammosteoidei (sensu Psammosteida Kiaer, 1932 emend. Tarlo, 1962)

  • Family Drepanaspididae Traquair, 1899
  • Family Guerichosteidae Tarlo, 1964
    • Genus Guerichosteus Tarlo, 1964 (= ?Hariosteus Tarlo, 1964)
  • Family Obrucheviidae Tarlo, 1964
    • Genus Obruchevia Whitley 1940
    • Genus Perscheia Elliott, Mark-Kurik & Daeschler, 2004
  • Family Русnоstеidае Tarlo, 1962
    • Genus Ganosteus Rohon, 1901
    • Genus Pycnolepis Tarlo, 1964
    • Genus Pycnosteus Preobrazhensky, 1911
  • Family Psammolepididae Tarlo, 1962
    • Genus Psammolepis Agassiz, 1845
  • Family Psammosteidae Traquair, 1896
    • Subfamily Placosteinae Glinskiy, 2017[2]
      • Genus Placosteus Agassiz, 1845
    • Subfamily Psammosteinae Traquair, 1896
      • Genus Elgaia Glinskiy, 2017[2]
      • Genus Psammosteus Agassiz, 1844
      • Genus Karelosteus Obruchev, 1933
      • Genus Traquairosteus Tarlo, 1964
    • Subfamily incertae sedis
      • Genus Vladimirolepis Glinskiy, 2017[2]
  • Family incertae sedis
    • Genus Schizosteus Obruchev, 1940
    • Genus Tartuosteus Obruchev, 1961

Phylogeny

An analysis by Glinskiy in 2017 obtained the following phylogenetic tree by strict consensus:[2]

Psammosteoidei
 

Drepanaspis juvenile specimen

 
 
 

Drepanaspis gemuendenensis

 
 
 

Guerichosteus heterolepis

 
 

Guerichosteus kozlowskii

 
 
 

'Schizosteus' perneri

 
 
Obrucheviidae
 

Obruchevia

 
 

Perscheia

 
 
 
Pycnosteidae
 

Ganosteus

 
 

Pycnolepis

 
 
 
 

Schizosteus striatus

 
 

Schizosteus asatkini

 
 

Tartuosteus

 
Psammolepididae

Psammolepis 50x50px

 
Psammosteidae
 

Vladimirolepis

 
 
Placosteinae

Placosteus

 
Psammosteinae
 

Elgaia

 
 
 

Psammosteus maeandrinus

 
 

Psammosteus praecursor

 
 

Psammosteus bergi

 
 
 

Psammosteus levis

 
 

Psammosteus cuneatus

 
 

Psammosteus megalopteryx

 
 
 

Psammosteus tenuis

 
 
 

Karelosteus

 
 

Psammosteus asper

 
 

Psammosteus livonicus

 
 

Traquairosteus ?

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Drepanaspididae
Guerichosteidae
 

External relationships

A 2025 comprehensive analysis on pteraspidomorph relationships by Randle et al. retained the placement of Psammosteoidei within Pteraspidiformes, with Anchipteraspididae as the deepest branching Pteraspidiformes.[3]

References

Wikidata ☰ Q20720555 entry