Topic summary

Eastmanosteus

Eastmanosteus

Eastmanosteus ("Eastman's bone") is a fossil genus of dunkleosteidplacoderms. It was closely related to the giant Dunkleosteus, but differed from that genus in size and in possessing a distinctive tuberculated bone ornament, a differently shaped nuchal plate, and a more zig-zagging course of the sutures of the skull roof.

Species of Eastmanosteus had powerful jaws with sharp cutting edges and were likely active predators. Fossils have been found in many parts of the world in marine sediments dating from the Middle to Late Devonian. They were medium-to-large fish, with specimens E. pustulosus and E. licharevi approaching a total length of 3 metres (10 feet). Complete exoskeletons with soft-tissue traces of E. calliaspis from Australia make this one of the best known dunkleosteids.