Lanarkia
| Lanarkia Temporal range:
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|---|---|
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Infraphylum: | Agnatha |
| Class: | †Thelodonti |
| Order: | †Furcacaudiformes |
| Family: | †Lanarkiidae |
| Genus: | †Lanarkia Traquair, 1898 |
| Type species | |
| Lanarkia horrida Traquair, 1898
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| Other species | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Lanarkia is a genus of extinct thelodont agnathan which existed in what is now Scotland and Canada during the upper Silurian period.[1][2]
Description
Lanarkia were very small fish around 30-45 cm in length that would have been possible prey to eurypterids.[3]
The scales of Lanarkia spinulosa likely served an anti-parasite role, similar to modern sharks which form large groups and cruise at slow to medium speeds. Lanarkia lanceolata preserves scales with a generalized form, similar to modern sharks which swim slowly in open deep-water environments. Lanarkia horrida has an unusual combination of small and larger pointed scales. They could have served a generalist or anti-predator role, though juvenile small-spotted catsharks (Scyliorhinus canicula) use similar scales on their tail to rasp at food.[4][5]
References
- ^ Lanarkia horrida at www.fossilmuseum.net.
- ^ Märss, T.; Ritchie, A. (1997). "Articulated thelodonts (Agnatha) of Scotland". Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences. 88 (3): 143–195. doi:10.1017/S026359330000691X. ISSN 0263-5933.
- ^ "Lanarkia sp". www.athenapub.com. Retrieved 2024-10-05.
- ^ Ferrón, Humberto G.; Botella, Héctor (2017). "Squamation and ecology of thelodonts". PLOS ONE. 12 (2) e0172781. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1272781F. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0172781. PMC 5328365. PMID 28241029.
- ^ Ferrón, Humberto G; Martínez-Pérez, Carlos; Turner, Susan; Manzanares, Esther; Botella, Héctor (2018). "Patterns of ecological diversification in thelodonts". Palaeontology. 61 (2): 303–315. doi:10.1111/pala.12347. hdl:10550/85568.
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