ostracoderm

ostracoderm
/os"treuh koh derrm'/, n.
any of several extinct jawless fishes of the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian periods, having the body enclosed in an armor of bony plates.
[1890-95; < NL Ostracodermi, pl. of Ostracodermus < Gk ostrakódermos with a shell, equiv. to óstrako(n) shell, tile + -dermos -DERM]

* * *

 an archaic and informal term for a member of the group of armoured, jawless, fishlike (fish) vertebrates (vertebrate) that emerged during the early part of the Paleozoic Era (542–251 million years ago). Ostracoderms include both extinct (extinction) groups, such as the heterostracans and osteostracans, and living forms, such as hagfishes (hagfish) and lampreys (lamprey).

Kevin Padian
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ostracoderm — Ostracoderms ( shell skinned ) are any of several groups of extinct, primitive, jawless fishes that were covered in an armor of bony plates. They belong to the taxon Ostracodermi, and their fossils are found in the Ordovician and Devonian Period… …   Wikipedia

  • ostracoderm — n. Any of several extinct fishlike jawless vertebrates having a heavily armored body; of the Paleozoic. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ostracoderm — OSTRACODÉRM, ostracodermi, s.m. (La pl.) Subclasă de vertebrate fosile cu corpul plat sau în formă de fus, acoperit de plăci şi de solzi, care trăiau în mările paleozoice; (la sg.) animal care face parte din această subclasă. – Din fr.… …   Dicționar Român

  • ostracoderm — noun Etymology: ultimately from Greek ostrakon + derma skin more at derm Date: 1891 any of the early fossil jawless fishes of the Lower Paleozoic usually having a bony covering of plates or scales …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • ostracoderm — [ɒ strakədə:m] noun an early jawless fossil fish of the Cambrian to Devonian periods, with a heavily armoured body. Origin C19: from mod. L. Ostracodermi (former taxonomic name), from Gk ostrakon shell + derma skin …   English new terms dictionary

  • ostracoderm — os·tra·co·derm …   English syllables

  • ostracoderm — os•tra•co•derm [[t]ˈɒs trə koʊˌdɜrm[/t]] n. pal any of several extinct jawless fishes of the Ordovician to Devonian periods that had the body enclosed in an armor of bony plates • Etymology: 1890–95; < NL Ostracodermi, pl. of Ostracodermus… …   From formal English to slang

  • ostracoderm — noun extinct fish like jawless vertebrate having a heavily armored body; of the Paleozoic • Hypernyms: ↑jawless vertebrate, ↑jawless fish, ↑agnathan • Member Holonyms: ↑Ostracodermi, ↑order Ostracodermi …   Useful english dictionary

  • Cephalaspis — ▪ paleontology  extinct genus of very primitive jawless, fishlike vertebrates found in Early Devonian rocks (the Devonian Period lasted from 408 to 360 million years ago) in Europe and North America. Cephalaspis, one of an early group of… …   Universalium

  • Devonian — For the Celtic language, see Southwestern Brythonic language; for the residents of the English county, see Devon. Devonian Period 416–359.2 million years ago …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”