Kiangyousteus is an extinct monotypic genus of dunkleosteid from the Middle Devonian: Givetian aged Guanwu Formation in the Sichuan province of south-western China. The type species, Kiangyousteus yohii, was the first known arthrodire from Asia.[1]

Kiangyousteus
Temporal range: Middle Devonian: Givetian, 387.7–382.7 Ma
Kiangyouosteus yohii fossil material
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Placodermi
Order: Arthrodira
Suborder: Brachythoraci
Family: Dunkleosteidae
Genus: Kiangyousteus
Liu, 1955
Type species
Kiangyousteus yohii
Liu, 1955
Known remains in white

Etymology edit

Kiangyousteus is named after Jiangyou (formerly ‘Kiangyou’) district of Sichuan Province, the location where the fossils were found in 1953 by Professor S. H. Yoh of Peking University.[1]

Phylogeny edit

Kiangyousteus belongs to the family Dunkleosteidae. The phylogeny of Kiangyousteus can be shown in the cladogram below:[1]

Dunkleosteoidea

Alternatively, the subsequent 2016 Zhu et al. study using a larger morphological dataset recovered Panxiosteidae well outside of Dunkleosteoidea, leaving the status of Dunkleosteidae as a clade grouping separate from Dunkleosteoidea in doubt, as shown in the cladogram below:[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c You-An Zhu; Min Zhu (2013). "A redescription of Kiangyousteus yohii (Arthrodira: Eubrachythoraci) from the Middle Devonian of China, with remarks on the systematics of the Eubrachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 169 (4): 798–819. doi:10.1111/zoj12089.
  2. ^ Zhu, You-An; Zhu, Min; Wang, Jun-Qing (1 April 2016). "Redescription of Yinostius major (Arthrodira: Heterostiidae) from the Lower Devonian of China, and the interrelationships of Brachythoraci". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 176 (4): 806–834. doi:10.1111/zoj.12356. ISSN 0024-4082.