Kingdom Animalia Infraphylum Gnathostomata Family basal petalichthyid Phylum Chordata Order Petalichthyida | Subphylum Vertebrata Class Placodermi
McCoy, 1848 Species D. baojiaoshanensis Rank Genus | |
 | ||
Similar Quasipetalichthys, Neopetalichthys, Pseudopetalichthys, Belemnacanthus, Asterosteus | ||
Diandongpetalichthys baojiaoshanensis is an extinct petalichthid placoderm from the Early Devonian of China.
Contents
Fossils
Several specimens, in the forms of one complete and several incomplete skull roofs, disarticulated portions of the trunk shield, and spines, are known, found from earliest Devonian aged Liaojiaoshan Hill of Qujing, Yunnan, a non-marine portion of the Xishancun Formation, in the Cuifengshan Group.
Phylogeny
The holotype of D. baojiaoshanensis is a poorly preserved, incomplete skull roof, and was, at the time of its description in 1978, regarded as "Petalichthyida incertae sedis. In light of more, better preserved specimens that show features in common with primitive arthrodires, such as actinolepids and the phlyctaeniids, D. baojiaoshanensis is now regarded as a basal petalichthyid.