Bruntonichthys is an extinct monospecific genus of arthrodire placoderm from the Early Frasnian stage of the Late Devonian period. Fossils are found in the Gogo Formation of the Kimberley region of Australia. The skull is about 139 millimetres long, and had disproportionally large eye sockets. Researchers suggest it may have preyed on small mollusks.[1]

Bruntonichthys
Temporal range: Late Devonian: Frasnian, 382.7–372.2 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Arthrodira
Suborder: Brachythoraci
Clade: Eubrachythoraci
Clade: Pachyosteomorphi
Clade: Aspinothoracidi
Genus: Bruntonichthys
Dennis & Miles, 1980
Species
  • Bruntonichthys multidens Dennis & Miles, 1980 (type)

Phylogeny

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Bruntonichthys is a basal member of the clade Aspinothoracidi, which belongs to the clade Pachyosteomorphi, one of the two major clades within Eubrachythoraci. The cladogram below shows the phylogeny of Bruntonichthys:[2]

Eubrachythoraci 

References

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  1. ^ DENNIS, K. and MILES, R. S. (1980), New durophagous arthrodires from Gogo, Western Australia. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 69: 43–85. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1980.tb01932.x
  2. ^ Zhu, You-An; Zhu, Min; Wang, Jun-Qing (1 April 2016). "Redescription of Yinostius major (Arthrodira: Heterostiidae) from the Lower Devonian of China, and the interrelationships of Brachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 176 (4): 806–834. doi:10.1111/zoj.12356. ISSN 0024-4082.