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Dunkleosteus

Dunkleosteus
Temporal range: Late Devonian (Frasnian to Famennian), 382–358 Ma
Partially reconstructed D. terrelli skull and trunk armor (specimen CMNH 5768), Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: †Placodermi
Order: †Arthrodira
Suborder: †Brachythoraci
Family: †Dunkleosteidae
Genus: †Dunkleosteus
Lehman, 1956
Type species
†Dinichthys terrelli
Newberry, 1873
Species
List
  • †D. amblyodoratus Carr & Hlavin, 2010
    †D. belgicus (?) (Newberry, 1873)
    †D. denisoni (Kulczycki, 1957)
    †D. magnificus (Hussakof & Bryant, 1919)
    †D. marsaisi Lehmann, 1956
    †D. missouriensis (Branson, 1914)
    †D. newberryi (Clarke, 1885)
    †D. raveri Carr & Hlavin, 2010
    †D. terrelli (Newberry, 1873 [originally Dinichthys])
    †D. tuderensis Lebedev et. al., 2023

Dunkleosteus is an extinct genus of large arthrodire ("jointed-neck") fish that existed during the Late Devonian period, about 382–358 million years ago. It was a pelagic fish inhabiting open waters, and one of the first vertebrate apex predators of any ecosystem.[1]

Dunkleosteus consists of ten species, some of which are among the largest placoderms ("plate-skinned") to have ever lived: D. terrelli, D. belgicus, D. denisoni, D. marsaisi, D. magnificus, D. missouriensis, D. newberryi, D. amblyodoratus, D. raveri, and D. tuderensis. However, the validity of several of these species is unclear (see below). The largest and best known species is D. terrelli. Since body shape is not known, various methods of estimation put the living total length of the largest known specimen of D. terrelli between 4.1 to 10 m (13 to 33 ft) long and weigh around 1–4 t (1.1–4.4 short tons).[2] However, lengths of 5 metres (16 ft) or more are poorly supported, with the most recent and extensive studies on the body shape and size of D. terrelli producing estimated lengths of approximately 3.4 metres (11 ft) for typical adults and 4.1 metres (13 ft) for exceptionally large individuals of this species.[2][3][4]

Dunkleosteus could quickly open and close its jaw, creating suction like modern-day suction feeders, and had a bite force that is considered the highest of any living or fossil fish, and among the highest of any animal. Fossils of Dunkleosteus have been found in the United States, Canada, Poland, Belgium, and Morocco.

  1. ^ Tamisiea, Jack (4 March 2023). "Dunk Was Chunky, but Still Deadly". New York Times. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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