A. Blieck et al., THE OLDEST VERTEBRATES OF THE GRAND-DUCHY OF LUXEMBOURG - BRACHYTHORACID ARTHRODIRES (PLACODERMI, EARLY DEVONIAN), Comptes rendus de l'Academie des sciences. Serie 2. Sciences de la terre et des planetes, 327(3), 1998, pp. 203
Two dermal plates of the thoracic shield of brachythoracid arthrodires
have been discovered in Emsian localities of the Grand-Duchy of Luxem
bourg (GDL). They represent the first confirmed discovery of vertebrat
es in the Lower Devonian of the GDL, and thus become the oldest verteb
rates of this country. They are also interesting by the fact that the
occurrence of Brachythoraci in the Devonian of the Ardenne Allochthon
has been, until now, very rare. The features of one of both plates fit
rather well with the shape of the homologous plate of the Coccosteida
e; this family is usually unreported in Lower Devonian rocks. ((C) Aca
demie des sciences / Elsevier, Paris.)