Torosteus Temporal range: Late Devonian: Frasnian,
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | †Placodermi |
Order: | †Arthrodira |
Suborder: | †Brachythoraci |
Clade: | †Eubrachythoraci |
Clade: | †Coccosteomorphi |
Superfamily: | †Incisoscutoidea |
Genus: | †Torosteus Gardiner & Miles, 1990 |
Species | |
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Torosteus is an extinct genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period. Fossils are found in the Kimberley region of Australia.[1]
Torosteus's body size and morphology are similar to Incisoscutum and Compagopiscis, suggesting a possible pelagic lifestyle, although they were on different trophic levels of their ecosystem.[2] Bite force analysis has suggested that it was an active predator, and fossils have been found in numbers, suggesting possible schooling behavior.[2]
Torosteus was originally classified as a member of the family Plourdosteidae.[3] However, phylogenetic analysis later found Plourdosteidae to be an invalid grouping, and the family was dismissed.[4] Torosteus is now considered to be a member of the superfamily Incisoscutoidea, which belongs to the clade Coccosteomorphi, one of the two major clades within Eubrachythoraci. The cladogram below shows the phylogeny of Torosteus:[1]
Eubrachythoraci |
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