Yinostius

Yinostius is an extinct genus of heterosteid placoderm of the Middle Devonian known from remains discovered in China.

Yinostius Temporal range: Early Devonian: Emsian, 407.6–393.3 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Life reconstruction of Yinostius major
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	†Placodermi
Order:	†Arthrodira
Suborder:	†Brachythoraci
Family:	†Heterosteidae
Genus:	†Yinostius J. Wang & N. Wang, 1984
Species
Yinostius major J. Wang & N. Wang, 1984 (Type)
Synonyms
Yinosteus

Description

This genus is known from Emsian-aged specimens from the Wuding region of Yunnan, China.^[1] In overall anatomy, it is extremely similar to the European genera, though it differs from them in its slightly smaller size, the shape of its nuchal plate, and in various body proportions.

Phylogeny

Yinostius is a member of the family Heterosteidae, which belongs to the superfamily Dunkleosteoidea. It is a relative of the giant Dunkleosteus, as shown in the cladogram below:^[2]

Dunkleosteoidea	Eastmanosteus calliaspis Eastmanosteus pustulosus Kiangyousteus yohii Golshanichthys asiatica Westralichthys uwagedensis Dunkleosteus raveri Dunkleosteus terrelli Dunkleosteus amblyodoratus Heterostiidae Heterosteus ingens Yinostius major