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Reassessment of a mid-Palaeozoic vertebrate assemblage from Laúndos, Portugal

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Abstract

Background

An assemblage of isolated vertebrate elements from northern Portugal, first described in the early twentieth century, was originally considered comparable to Late Silurian faunas from the Lower Old Red Sandstone of the Welsh Borderlands, but with some anomalous identifications of taxa only known from late Early Devonian or younger deposits.

Purpose

The assemblage was re-evaluated to determine the validity of the original taxonomic assessments and to compare the fauna with associations in other regions to estimate its likely age.

Methods

The specimens were examined and photographed, and compared with mid-Palaeozoic taxa from other regions.

Results

A review of the assemblage shows it to comprise acanthodian fin spines, dentigerous jaw bones, tooth whorls, and a dermal plate, as well as invertebrate remains including phyllocarid mandibles and pterygotid eurypterid exoskeletal plates. Acanthodian elements are assigned to Onchus tenuistriatus, Onchus sp., Climatius sp., and Ischnacanthus sp.

Conclusion

In contrast to the benthic invertebrate fauna from the same locality, which shows marked Armorican affinities, the association of the pelagic acanthodians and pterygotid is most comparable with vertebrate assemblages found in the Přídolí and earliest Devonian of the Welsh Borderlands.

Resumen

En el presente trabajo se estudia una asociación de restos aislados de vertebrados del norte de Portugal, descrito por primera vez a principios del siglo XX, y que se consideró en su mayor parte comparable a las faunas del Silurico Tardío de la parte inferior de las “Old Red Sandstones” de las fronteras Galesas. La revisión de los restos muestra una asociacion formada por espinas de las aletas dorsales, huesos de la mandíbula dentigeros, dientes en espiral, y una placa dérmica de acantodios, así como restos del invertebrados incluyendo las mandíbulas del filocaridos y placas del exoesqueleto de euriptéridos pterigotoides. Los distintos elementos de Acantodios se han asignan a O. tenuistriatus, Onchus sp., Climatius sp., e Ischnacanthus sp. En contraste con la fauna de invertebrados bentónicos de la misma localidad, que muestran marcadas afinidades armoricanas, la asociación de estos acantodios y pterigotóides pelágicos se asemejan son más comparable con las asociaciones de vertebrados encontrados en el Přídolí y el Devónico más temprano de las fronteras galesas.

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Acknowledgements

I thank Miguel Ramalho for access to the Delgado collection and help with references, Mike Newman and Jan den Blaauwen for images of NHMUK PV and GSM collection specimens, Emma Barnard for access to NHMUK PV collection specimens, Randy Miller (New Brunswick Museum) for advice on eurypterid anatomy, and the Queensland Museum for provision of basic facilities. I also thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

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  1. Geosciences, Queensland Museum, 122 Gerler Rd, Hendra, 4011, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

    Carole J. Burrow

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Burrow, C.J. Reassessment of a mid-Palaeozoic vertebrate assemblage from Laúndos, Portugal. J Iber Geol 43, 97–110 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41513-017-0006-6

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