Thelodont scales from the Lower and Middle Devonian Andrée Land Group, Spitsbergen

Abstract

Scales of six thelodont taxa are described from the Devonian of Spitsbergen. Numerous samples from localities widely dispersed on Spitsbergen yield several assemblages considered to represent different depositional phases of the late Lower lower Middle Devonian of the Andrée Land Group, but also support the view that certain lithostratigraphic units of the Andrée Land Group should be regarded as contemporaneous lithofacies subjected to different sedimentary environments, rather than as separate stratigraphic members. The description of Woodfjordia collisa gen. et sp. nov., Talivalia svalbardia sp. nov., Canonia cf. C. grossi, Amaltheolepis montiwatsonia sp. nov., Amaltheolepis winsnesi and Amaltheolepis austfjordia sp. nov. also allows for a comparison with similar faunas from other regions of the Northern Hemisphere and motivates further elaboration of Early-Middle Devonian thelodont biostratigraphy.

Keywords:

• thelodont scales
• systematics
• Andreé Land Group
• Devonian
• Spitsbergen

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Prof. Philippe Janvier and Dr Gaël Clément (Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris) for providing facilities, equipment and curatorial support throughout this project. We also thank Dr Hans Arne Nakrem (Palaeontological Museum, Oslo University), Dr Thomas Mörs and Dr Anna Lindström (Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm) for help with access to collections, original illustrations and loan of material, and Dr Vincent Dupret for providing transport of material. We also thank referees Dr Mark Wilson and Dr Tiiu Märss for their useful and detailed reviews. This work is a contribution to the UNESCO and IUGS International Geosciences Programme project IGCP 591 “Early to Middle Palaeozoic Revolution”.