A New Cyathaspid (Agnatha, Heterostraci) with an Articulated Oral Cover from the Late Silurian of the Canadian Arctic

• Published in: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
• Main Author: David K. Elliott
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 2013
• Subjects: Arctic; Northwest Territories; Canada; Somerset Island
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2012.717568

A new genus and species of cyathaspid heterostracan, Capitaspis giblingi, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Late Silurian (Pridolian) Upper Member of the Somerset Island Formation, Northwest Territories, Canada. The new species is most closely related to Pionaspis in the subfamily Cyathaspidinae, family Cyathaspididae, showing similarity in the presence of distinct central, anterior, and lateral epitega and in overall size and proportions, but differing in details of the ridge pattern. The unique specimen of the new taxon has an articulated oral cover that consists of a series of postoral and oral plates. Because the oral cover is almost unknown for cyathaspids, this specimen increases our knowledge of the range of oral structures in this family beyond the simple structures known for Poraspis and Anglaspis.