Parayunnanolepis xitunensis is an extinct, primitive antiarch placoderm. The fossil specimens, including a marvelously preserved, intact specimen, are known from the Lochkovian Epoch-aged Xitun Formation of Early Devonian Yunnan. The armor is very similar to that of Yunnanolepis, but is distinguished by being comparatively more flattened.
| Parayunnanolepis Temporal range: Early Devonian,
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| Artist's reconstruction | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Placodermi |
| Order: | †Antiarchi |
| Family: | †Yunnanolepididae |
| Genus: | †Parayunnanolepis |
| Species: | †P. xitunensis
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| Binomial name | |
| †Parayunnanolepis xitunensis Tong-Dzuy & Janvier 1990
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An intact and exquisitely preserved specimen demonstrates that the living animal had pelvic fins and a pelvic girdle, thus proving that antiarchs had, primitively at least, pelvic girdles, and or inherited them from a common ancestor of both placoderms and other gnathostomes.[1][2]
References
edit- ^ "New study showing pelvic girdles arose before the origin of movable jaws". phys.org. 10 Jan 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
- ^ Zhu, Min; Yu, Xiaobo (4 Jan 2012). "An antiarch placoderm shows that pelvic girdles arose at the root of jawed vertebrates". Royal Society Biology Letters. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
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