Ostracoderm (Noun)
Meaning
Extinct fish-like jawless vertebrate having a heavily armored body; of the Paleozoic.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- The ostracoderm was a type of ancient fish that lived during the Paleozoic era, characterized by its heavily armored body and lack of jaws.
- Fossil records show that ostracoderms were one of the earliest vertebrates to evolve on Earth, with some species dating back over 400 million years.
- The ostracoderm's armored body was made up of bony plates called scutes, which provided protection from predators in the ancient oceans.
- Despite being jawless, ostracoderms were able to feed on small invertebrates and plankton using a pair of rasping plates in their mouth.
- The discovery of ostracoderm fossils has helped scientists to better understand the evolution of vertebrates and the development of the first fish-like creatures on Earth.