Page 43 - The Dinosaur Book and Other Wonders of the Prehistoric World (DK-Smithsonian)

A massive shield of
bone protected the A serrated rodlike
head and back of this structure extended
giant predator. from the mouth of this
armored, jawless fish.
Dunkleosteus

Doryaspis

Athenaegis
Tough bony plates
completely enclosed
the head.

Bothriolepis

Sharp, bony plates in
the fish’s mouth acted
like a beak and were
probably just as
Dipterus had bony effective as teeth. The winglike
plates protecting its pectoral fins of
head and gills. Bothriolepis were
also armored
like its head.

The structure of
the tail was similar
to that of a shark.

Dipterus Bony scales covered
most of its body.

may have provided defense against predators. the great white shark–sized Dunkleosteus,
The only animals that might threaten them were would have had few enemies—it had one of
sharks and other big, fish-eating predators, since the most powerful bites of any fish and bony
the fearsome marine reptiles with their powerful plates that were about 2 in (5 cm) thick. It is
jaws did not appear in the oceans for another also likely that they were armored as
100 million years. Some of the placoderms, like defense against each other. 41

US_040-041_Fish_Armour.indd 41 10/04/18 3:32 PM