Acanthodes bronii

Acanthodes is a genus of plankton feeding spiny sharks which was ubiquitous from the Early Carboniferous to the Early Permian. Fossils have been found throughough Europe and North Amrica. It had fewer spines than its other relatives such as Climatius. Many species of Acanthodes have been described: Acanthodes bourbonensis Heidtke, 1996 (Lower Permian of France); Acanthodes boyi Heidtke, 1993 (Lower Permian of Germany); Acanthodes bridgei Zidek, 1976 (Upper Carboniferous of Kansas); Acanthodes bronii Agassiz, 1833 (Lower Permian of Germany); Acanthodes fritschi Zajic, 1998 (Upper Carboniferous of Czech Republic); Acanthodes gracilis (Beyrich, 1848) (Lower Permian of Czech Republic, Poland and Germany); Acanthodes kinneyi Zidek, 1992 (Upper Carboniferous of New Mexico); Acanthodes lopatini Rohon, 1889 (Lower Carboniferous of southern Central Siberia, Russia); Acanthodes luedersensis (Dalquest et al., 1988) (Lower Permian of Texas); Acanthodes lundi Zidek, 1980 (Upper Carboniferous of Montana); Acanthodes nitidus Woodward, 1891 (Lower Carboniferous of Scotland); Acanthodes ovensi White, 1927 (Lower Carboniferous of Scotland); Acanthodes sippeli Heidtke, 1996 (Upper Carboniferous of Germany); Acanthodes stambergi Zajic, 2005 (Lower Permian of Czech Republic); Acantodes sulcatus Agassiz, 1835 (Lower Carboniferous of Scotland); Acanthodes tholeyi Heidtke, 1990 (Lower Permian of Germany); Acanthodes wardi Egerton, 1866 (Upper Carboniferous of England and Scotland).

Name

Acanthodes bronii

Authority

Agassiz, 1833

[Note: he was opposed to Darwin, while a botanist supported the latter.]

Size

Length: 30 cm

Remains

Complete fossils.

Age and Distribution

Early Permian, Rotliegend, Germany

Classification

Acanthodii Acanthodiformes Acanthodidae