Dunkleosteus: bone or skin as outer surface?

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Matt - 25 Jun 2006 00:44 GMT

I am wondering, on Dunkleosteus terrilli: was the bone head shield the
outermost surface, or was there skin (or muscle and skin) over the
bone? I assume if there were muscles, the attachment points could be
seen.

Thanks,
Matt Bille

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deowll - 27 Jun 2006 06:21 GMT

>I am wondering, on Dunkleosteus terrilli: was the bone head shield the
> outermost surface, or was there skin (or muscle and skin) over the
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Thanks,
> Matt Bille

The people that do reconstructions don't show it that way. The muscles don't
suggest it. Some of it might have been covered with skin. I wasn't alive
then. The cutting plates were just what I said. They would no more have been
covered with skin than your teeth.

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Alan Kellogg - 28 Jun 2006 12:47 GMT

> >I am wondering, on Dunkleosteus terrilli: was the bone head shield the
> > outermost surface, or was there skin (or muscle and skin) over the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> then. The cutting plates were just what I said. They would no more have been
> covered with skin than your teeth.

More a mix of horn and hide, depending on location. Some elderly
specimens have have had exposed bone thanks to wear and tear on horn.

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Matt - 30 Jun 2006 18:05 GMT

Thanks very much. One more question, if I'm not being too much of a
pain: I can't find any reconstruction that shows the gill openings.
Were they hidden under the thoracic plate? That would protect them,
but seems to restrict their access to the required free flow of water.

Regards,
Matt

> > >I am wondering, on Dunkleosteus terrilli: was the bone head shield the
> > > outermost surface, or was there skin (or muscle and skin) over the
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> More a mix of horn and hide, depending on location. Some elderly
> specimens have have had exposed bone thanks to wear and tear on horn.

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Natural Science Forum / Biology / Paleontology / June 2006

Dunkleosteus: bone or skin as outer surface?