Kujdanowiaspis Stensiö, 1942

Dupret, Vincent, 2010, Revision of the genus Kujdanowiaspis Stensiö, 1942 (Placodermi, Arthrodira, “ Actinolepida ”) from the Lower Devonian of Podolia (Ukraine), Geodiversitas 32 (1), pp. 5-63 : 9

Genus Kujdanowiaspis Stensiö, 1942

Phlyctaenius – Traquair 1890a: 55, pl. II figs 1, 2; 144.

Acanthaspis – Newberry 1889: 35, pl. XXX figs 1-4.

DIAGNOSIS. — Arthrodira “Actinolepidoidei” with long spinal plate extending beyond the posterior edge of the anterior ventrolateral plate, and mesial side of spinal plate bears anteriorly oriented denticles.

TYPE SPECIES. — Phlyctaenaspis buczacziensis Brotzen, 1934 (by monotypy).

SPECIES INCLUDED. — K. buczacziensis ( Brotzen, 1934) and K. podolica ( Brotzen, 1934) .

REMARKS

The genus diagnosis given by Denison (1978: 50) does not display derived states of characters, as most of the cited anatomical features can be encountered in most of the actinolepids (e.g., “The dermal plates covering the ethmoidal region are loosely attached and often broken of. The preorbital plates are shallowly notched anteriorly by the pineal, and are not greatly elongate. […] The nuchal is rather long”), but rather consists in a determination key. The species diagnoses given by Denison (1978: 50) mainly refer to Brotzen’s original work and Stensiö’s anatomical (non systematical) studies. Last but not least, Denison (1978: 50) ends the genus diagnosis with this remark: “Although it is better known than most Actinolepidae , this genus has never been prop- erly defined nor distinguished from other genera. Moreover, none of the species referred here have been described or figured adequately from a systematic point of view, and must at present be considered indeterminate […]”.