Acanthodians from the Silurian–Devonian boundary beds of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Russia

Abstract

An acanthodian assemblage is reported for the first time from the Silurian–Devonian boundary beds of Novaya Zemlya Archipelago, Russia. The acanthodian scales and rare other vertebrate microremains were in a sample collected from the Reliktovoe Formation of the western coast of Inostantzev Bay, North Island. The assemblage includes Gomphonchus mediocostatus, Gomphonchoporus hoppei taxa previously described from the Pridoli – Lochkovian of Laurussia, and Taimyrolepis composita occurred in the Lochkovian of Siberia. Gomphonchus mediocostatus and Gomphonchoporus hoppei are widely distributed in the Baltica palaeogeographic province, and Taimyrolepis is known from the Siberia province, indicating connection between those provinces.