Brachydeiroidea
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brachydeiroidea is a superfamily of small to moderately large-sized arthrodire placoderms from the Late Devonian of Europe and Eastern North America.
| Brachydeiroidea Temporal range: Middle to Late Frasnian | |
|---|---|
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| Restoration of B. grandis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Placodermi |
| Order: | †Arthrodira |
| Suborder: | †Brachythoraci |
| Infraorder: | †Coccosteina |
| Superfamily: | †Brachydeiroidea Denison, 1978 |
| Type species | |
| Brachydeirus carinatus Gross, 1932 | |
| Families | |
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Brachydeiroids have, in cross section, a highly compressed body, a pointed, sometimes highly elongated snout, and tremendous orbits.[1] The plates of the trunk shield are noticeably shortened: in Synauchenia, the trunk shield and head shield are fused together as a single, immovable unit.[2] The superficial anatomy of brachydeiroids is extremely diverse.[1]
