| Aleosteus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Placodermi |
| Order: | †Arthrodira |
| Genus: | †Aleosteus Johnsonet al., 2000 |
| Species | |
Aleosteus is anextinctmonospecificgenus ofarthrodireplacoderm fish of theEarly Devonian period. Thetype speciesAleosteus eganensis wasdescribed in 2000, and was found in the LateEmsian strate of theSevy Dolomite Formation, in theEgan Range of east-centralNevada, USA. Almost complete fossils belong to juvenile and adult specimens and show a short and broad skull, posteriorly concave.[1]
The generic nameAleosteus comes from the Ancient Greco-Roman game "alea", a game of chance involving dice, as an allusion to Nevada's reputation forgambling. The species nameeganensis is based on thetype locality in the Egan Mountain Range in Nevada.[1]
Aleosteus is one of the morebasal members of theorderArthrodira, closely related toSimblaspis, as shown in thecladogram below:[2]
Actinolepidoidei Phlyctaeniina |
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