Description

Podolaspis and Larnovaspis
Fish
Lower Devonian (Pridolian)
Dniester Formation
Zalishchyky, Podolia, Ukraine

Two very nice shields (55mm and 62mm) on 217mm slab.

Podolaspis and Larnovaspis are two genera of armored jawless fishes belonging to the extinct subclass, Heterostraci, aka the heterostracans. Both these fishes are known only from the Devonian of Ukraine.  The head of a heterostracan is armored with bony shields with the body less-protected by smaller scales. Usually, all that is found of these fishes are isolated shields.

Heterostracans were very diverse during the Silurian but they died out by the end of the Devonian. Their shields have been found in the United States, Canada, and Europe – regions that were at or even south of the equator during the Early Devonian.

This is a very unusual find containing the remains of two heterostracan genera – a great addition to a fish or fossil association collection in search of something representing early vertebrates.