Materpiscis Temporal range: Late Devonian (Frasnian),
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Artist's reconstruction of M. attenboroughi | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | †Placodermi |
Order: | †Ptyctodontida |
Family: | †Ptyctodontidae |
Genus: | †Materpiscis Long et al., 2008 |
Species: | †M. attenboroughi
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Binomial name | |
†Materpiscis attenboroughi Long et al., 2008
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Materpiscis (Latin for mother fish) is a genus of ptyctodontid placoderm from the Late Devonian located at the Gogo Formation of Western Australia. Known from only one specimen, it is unique in having an unborn embryo present inside the mother, with remarkable preservation of a mineralised placental feeding structure (umbilical cord). This makes Materpiscis the oldest known vertebrate to show viviparity, or giving birth to live young.