Weejasperaspididae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WeejasperaspididaeTemporal range: Emsian
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| Weejasperaspis gavini, Murrindalaspis wallacei & Brindabellaspis stensioi | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | †Placodermi |
| Order: | †Acanthothoraci |
| Family: | †Weejasperaspididae |
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Weejasperaspididae (say "Wee-jas-per-AS-pi-dee-day") was a family of ancient, fish-like creatures. They lived a very long time ago, during the Early Devonian period. These animals were a type of placoderm, which means "plate-skinned" fish. They had strong, bony armor covering their bodies. Weejasperaspididae lived in what is now Victoria and New South Wales, Australia. Sadly, they are all extinct now. Their name means "Shields of Wee Jasper", which is a place in Australia.
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What Did They Look Like?
Weejasperaspididae had special features. Scientists know about them from their fossilized body plates. These plates covered their backs and had unique, blade-like ridges. These ridges were found on the middle-back part of their armor. They also had strong, bony eye sockets. This means their eyes were well protected.
How Were They Related to Other Ancient Fish?
Scientists study fossils to understand how different ancient animals are related. Weejasperaspididae were a type of acanthothoracid placoderm. This group of armored fish is very old.
Why Weejasperaspididae Are Unique
Weejasperaspididae are special because their skull bones and plate structures were quite basic. They didn't look exactly like any other specific group of placoderms. Also, the patterns on their bony plates were unique. These patterns are only seen on Weejasperaspididae fossils. This helps scientists tell them apart from other ancient fish.
The Mystery of Brindabellaspis
For a while, another placoderm called Brindabellaspis stensioi was thought to be part of the Weejasperaspididae family. Its bony plates looked similar to theirs. However, Brindabellaspis stood out because it had a very long, pointed snout.
Later, a French scientist named Philippe Janvier studied Brindabellaspis more closely. He looked at the inside of its braincase. He found that its braincase looked more like those of osteostracans or galeaspids. These are other types of ancient, jawless fish. Because of these differences, Brindabellaspis stensioi was placed in its own special group. This new group is called Brindabellaspida. This shows how scientists learn more and change their ideas as new information is found.
