PORACANTHODIDAE GEN. ET SP. INDET.

Burrow, Carole Jan, Murphy, Michael & Turner, Susan, 2023, Late Silurian to earliest Devonian vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Birch Creek II section, Roberts Mountains, Nevada, U. S. A., PaleoBios 40 (4), pp. 1-32 : 12

PORACANTHODIDAE GEN. ET SP. INDET.

( FIG. 3Q, R ; TABLE 1 ; SUPPL. 1, FIGS. 2 )

Referred specimens —A few sensory line scales were recovered from levels 395′–492.3′ (120.4–150.1 m) in the BC II section, including UCR 10750-9 (level 456.5’= 139.1 m) and UCR 930-3 (level 395’= 120.4 m), AMF 97928 (level 503’= 153.3 m), AMF 97929 (level 446.5’= 136.1 m) figured by Parkes (1995, fig. 29.9–29.12: captioned Chondrichthyan 1, 2), AMF 97949, 97952–97954 (all level 402’= 122.5 m), AMF 97955 (level 395’= 120.4 m) figured by Parkes (1995, fig. 32.5, 32.6, 32.11–32.16: captioned Poracanthodes punctatus ); fragments of dentigerous jaw bone are from levels 424.9’ (129.5 m), M48B=491.8’ (149.9 m), and M48C=492.3’ (150.1 m): Roberts Mountains Formation.

Description —Short, wide scales are identified as ones that edged the sensory lines on the head, by comparison with squamation of articulated poracanthodid Zemlyacanthus menneri ( Valiukevičius 1992, pl. 9.6a, 6b). These scales have a similar structure in all known poracanthodids, with multiple short sharp ridges and tubercles along the straight anterior margin overlapping similar ridges which cover the crown, or at least the anterior half of the crown with the posterior half showing rows or lines of pores. The posterior edge has often fractured off, revealing the posteriorly directed canals of the pore system. Pores open out on the crown between the ridges and tubercles. The neck is short and concave, and the base is low and slightly convex.

Other elements include jaw fragments that are probably poracanthodid, because no other ischnacanthiform elements are found at the same levels.

Figures

Figure 2. Poracanthodid acanthodian scales from Upper Silurian levels of the Birch Creek II section, SEM images. A–G. Poracanthodes punctatus: A, B. UCR 930-2 (level 395') in lateral and posterobasal views; C. UCR 930-6 (level 395') in posterobasal view; D, E. UCR 930-5 (level 395') in crown and posterocrown views; F, G. UCR 930-1 (level 395') in lateral and basal views. H–P,?Q–V. Poracanthodes canadensis: H, I. UCR 930-4 (level 395') in crown view; J, K. UCR 10746-6 (level 430.5') in crown view plus closeup of crown pores; L–N. UCR 10750-6 (level 456.5') in anterior and crown views, and closeup of pores near hyphal borings; O. UCR10746-5 (level 430.5') in laterocrown view; P. UCR 540-1 (level 510’) in crown view (from Supplement 1, fig. 17); Q–S. UCR 10768-3 (level 518.3') in crown, anterocrown views, and closeup of posterior crown surface; T. UCR 930-8 (level 395'), horizontal thin section through crown; U,V. UCR 10746-12 (level 430.5'), vertical thin section through anterior half of crown; W–BB. Radioporacanthodes porosus: W, X. UCR 10750-7 (level 456.5') in crown and anterocrown views; Y, Z. UCR 10746-4 (level 430.5') in anterocrown and lateral views; AA. UCR 10746-9 (level 430.5') in crown view; BB. UCR 10750-11 (level 456.5'), horizontal thin section through crown, showing two radial pore canals, viewed with Nomarski optics. CC–EE. Radioporacanthodes scheii: CC. UCR 10750-5 (level 456.5') in crown view; DD, EE. UCR 10750- 1 (level 456.5') in crown view plus closeup of pores and hyphal borings. Abbreviations: arc=arcade canals; b=scale base; c=scale crown; h=hyphal borings; n=neck; p=pore; pc=pore canal; pco=pore canal opening under posterior crown; pr=pore canal opening row on crown surface; rc=radial canal. Scale bars=0.1 mm, anterior of scale is to left or down, otherwise arrows point to anterior. See Table 1 for meterage.

Figure 3. Poracanthodid and ischnacanthid acanthodian scales from Upper Silurian levels of the Birch Creek II section. A–E,?F,?G. Gomphonchoporus hoppei: A. UCR 949-1 (level 567.3') in crown view (from Supplement 1, fig. 24); B. UCR 944-11 (level 527.25') in laterocrown view; C, D. UCR 5439-2 (level 549') in anterocrown and laterocrown views; E. UCR 5439-3 (level 549') in basal view; F. UCR 5439-7 (level 549') in crown view; G. UCR 5439-1 (level 549') in anterocrown view. H–J. Zemlyacanthus menneri: UCR 10815-1, 2, 3 (level 556.5'), in crown views (from Supplement 1, fig. 22). M–P. Trundlelepis cervicostulata: K, L. UCR 10768-4 (level 518.3') in anterior and lateral views; M. UCR 944-17 (level 527.25') in crown view; N. UCR 944-3 (level 527.25') in crown view; O. UCR 944-23 (level 527.25'), vertical longitudinal thin section; P. UCR 944-22 (level 527.25'), horizontal thin section through crown. Q, R. Poracanthodidae gen., sp. indet. sensory line scale UCR 930-3 (level 395') in crown and posterior views. S-V. Gomphonchus sandelensis: S, T. UCR 10746-11 (level 430.5') in crown and lateral views; U,V. UCR 930-7 (level 395') in antero- and posterocrown views. W–Z. Gomphonchus mediocostatus: W. UCR 944-6 (level 527.25') in crown view; X. UCR 944-16 (level 527.25') in crown view; Y. UCR 942-1 (level 526') in crown view (from Supplement 1, fig. 20); Z. UCR 944-19 (level 527.25') in laterocrown view. Abbreviations: cgz=crown growth zones; dt=dentine tubules; h=hyphal borings; vc=vertical canals. Scale bars=0.1 mm, anterior of scale