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Why Did Placoderms Go Extinct?

Maya Lin-Takahashi • • 2 min read
Why Did Placoderms Go Extinct?

It was thought for a time that placoderms became extinct due to competition from the first bony fish

bony fish
Bony fishes, class Osteichthyes, are characterised by bony skeleton rather than cartilage. They appeared in the late Silurian, about 419 million years ago. The recent discovery of Entelognathus strongly suggests that bony fishes (and possibly cartilaginous fishes, via acanthodians) evolved from early placoderms.
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and early sharks, given a combination of the supposed inherent superiority of bony fish and the presumed sluggishness of placoderms.

When did the placoderms go extinct?

Placoderms dominated aquatic environments for 70 million years until they suddenly went extinct some 360 million years ago, paving the way for modern bony fish (osteichthyans) and sharks and rays (chondrichthyans).

Do armored fish still exist?

Dunkleosteus is an extinct genus of large armored, jawed fishes that existed during the Late Devonian period, about 358–382 million years ago.

Maya Lin-Takahashi
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Maya Lin-Takahashi

Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.