Devonian placoderm scales from Australia

The morphology and histology of Australian placoderm scales which were foun d associated with dermal plates are described and compared. The specimens i nclude the arthrodire Buchanosteus confertituberculatus from the Early Devo nian (Emsian) of Buchan, Victoria, the arthrodires Goodradigbeeon australia nium and Buchanosteidae gen. et sp. indet., the acanthothoracid Murrindalas pis wallacei from the Emsian of Taemas, New South Wales, and the antiarch W urungulepis denisoni from the Emsian of the Broken River Group of northern Queensland. Isolated scales from Emsian limestones of Taemas-Wee Jasper, N. S.W., and Tyers, Victoria, and Lochkovian/Pragian assemblages from New Sout h Wales and Queensland are also reviewed, to indicate the potential biostra tigraphical value of placoderm scales in microvertebrate faunal assemblages , and their relevance to phylogenetic analysis.