''Ateleaspis'' is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

genus of primitive ostracoderm fish that lived in the

Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 23.5 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the third and shortest period of t ...

period ( Wenlock Epoch) to the Lower

Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...

. Like other ostracoderms, ''Ateleaspis'' had a head shield similar to that of '' Cephalaspis''. Species from Silurian period were found in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

and

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

, but now has been found also in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

from Early Devonian period.

Description

''Ateleaspis'' possibly is the most basal vertebrate with paired fins. ''Ateleaspis'' was a small fish (about 15 – 20 cm) and had a flat headshield and a narrow trunk covered by brick-like scales.

References

External links

Ateleaspis at Palaeos

Ateleaspis species location & chronology
Osteostraci genera Paleozoic jawless fish Fossils of Norway Fossils of Great Britain {{Paleo-jawless-fish-stub