Melanosteus
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Melanosteus Temporal range: Late Frasnian |
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| Artist's reconstruction | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Placodermi |
| Order: | Arthrodira |
| Suborder: | Brachythoraci |
| Infraorder: | Coccosteina |
| Superfamily: | Dinichthyloidea |
| Family: | Selenosteidae |
| Genus: | Melanosteus |
| Species: | M. occitanus |
| Binomial name | |
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Melanosteus occitanus Lelièvre 1987 |
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Melanosteus occitanus is a small (skull about 5 centimeters long) selenosteid arthrodire placoderms known from the Upper Frasnian Montagne Noire of Southern France. Rücklin (2011), regards M. occitanus as the sister taxon of Rhinosteus. During the Frasnian, M. occitanus lived off the coast of an island continent, "Armorica," which consisted of portions of what would become Southern France.
The generic name literally translates as "black bone," the color referring to the translation of Montagne Noire, or "Black Mountains." The specific name refers to Occitania, the region of Southern France where the fossils were found.
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