PITURIASPIDA Meaning and
Definition
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Pituriaspida is a term used to refer to a specific group of extinct jawless fishes that lived during the early Paleozoic era. These fishes were members of the class Pteraspidomorphi, which is characterized by having bony armor plates covering their bodies.
The Pituriaspida were small fishes typically measuring about 10 to 20 centimeters in length. They possessed a rounded or elongated body shape and a cartilaginous skeleton. One of their distinguishing features was the presence of a pair of large, fan-shaped finlets located towards the end of their bodies.
These ancient fish had a heavily armored head covered by several plates, including a large dorsal shield and smaller lateral and ventral shields. They lacked jaws and instead possessed a circular mouth with numerous small teeth, which they likely used to filter feed on planktonic organisms in the water.
Pituriaspida are commonly found in marine fossil deposits throughout the world, particularly in areas that were once shallow seas or coastal regions. Fossils of these fishes provide important insights into the evolutionary history of early jawless fishes and the development of the bony armor that later evolved into the jaws and teeth of modern fishes.
Overall, the term Pituriaspida refers to a specific group of extinct armored jawless fishes that played a significant role in the early evolution of fish during the Paleozoic era.
