Kujdanowiaspis

Kujdanowiaspis is an extinct genus of actinolepid placoderm from the Early Devonian of Nyrkiv, Ukraine and Poland. As an actinolepid, it is among the most basal of all placoderms. Kujdanowiaspis is only known from many well-preserved fragmentary head shield and skull fossils.[1] After revising the genus in 2010, Dupret left three species within the genus: K. buczacziensis, K. podolica and possibly also K. zychi.[1]

Kujdanowiaspis
Temporal range: Early Devonian
Artist's reconstruction of K. buczacziensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Class:
†Placodermi
Order:
†Arthrodira
Family:
†Actinolepidae
Genus:
†Kujdanowiaspis

Stensiö, 1942
Species
  • †K. buczacziensis (Brotzen, 1934)
  • †K. podolica (Brotzen, 1934)
  • †K. zychi? (Stensiö, 1945)
Synonyms
  • Acanthaspis Newberry, 1875 (preoccupied)
  • Erikaspis? Dupret, Goujet and Mark-Kurik, 2007

Description
Preserved spinal plate and thoracic shield

Because of the consistently poor preservation of Kujdanowiaspis fossils, little is known about its physiology. What is known about it is typical of Actinolepid placoderms, and it could be compared to the better known primitive arthrodires such as Dicksonosteus or Actinolepis. It had a very pronounced, serrated spinal plate, giving it an almost lunate dorsal silhouette.[1]

Its body is wide and flat, suggesting a benthic lifestyle. Its jaws were comparatively underdeveloped in comparison to the more robust-jawed arthrodires that would come after it, such as Dunkleosteus and Coccosteus, indicating that it likely subsisted primarily on smaller, softer-bodied animals such as mollusks or worms instead of larger, tougher prey animals.

References
  1. Dupret, Vincent (2010). "Revision of the genus Kujdanowiaspis Stensiö, 1942 (Placodermi, Arthrodira, "Actinolepida") from the Lower Devonian of Podolia (Ukraine)". Geodiversitas. 32 (1): 5–63. doi:10.5252/g2010n1a1. S2CID 129505974.


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