Podolaspis lerichei Jawless Fish Fossil

Description: The Heterostracans were a marvelously diverse group of agnathan fish. Typically there are two large bony plates protecting the body, one on the dorsal and one on the ventral side. They arose during the Silurian and achieved their greatest diversity during the Devonian. One of the most successful groups were the pteraspids, meaning wing shield, a term that refers to the spines that projected from the sides of the body of many of them. Seen here is the body shield, rostral plate, and right corneal shield (wing) far more than what is typically what is found. It is not known whether any remnants of the dorsal spine are present under the matrix at the posterior border of the dorsal plate. Few posterior elements are known; the artist’s life reconstruction is based upon other related types. The species went extinct at the end of the Lower Devonian, leaving no descendants.

Also see: Paleozoic Fish Fossils