Fish Scales?

[Packy]

Found these in micro material, from the Beechwood of southern Indiana. I also found fish scales in this material. Are these a another fish scale plate? The first photo is 4 mm across. Thanks for any input, Packy

[Fossildude19]

The first and second look like they could be bits of placoderm armor. 

I'm assuming the last one is, as well, but I have never seen this form - not really arranged like scales, but more like armor. 

Very interesting finds, regardless.  

[jdp]

Yep, these are all vertebrate! What age is this?

 

The first two pieces are almost certainly placoderm. My gut feeling is something more basal like a rhenanid or acanthothoracid given the large denticles. 

 

The small pointed denticles on the final piece look like a fragment of a flank scale from a porolepiform sarcopterygian (very very early lungfish relative). 

 

Do you have pictures of the fish scales you collected?

 

Keep an eye out in this material for more complete bones or partial fish. These bits are tantalizing, but something more complete would be scientifically important.

[Packy]

Thanks jdp, what reference should I use, i could not find anything about this location to help with this. They are found in the Middle Devonion soils of the Beechwood of Clark County Indiana. Lots of Conodonts also. sorry about some of the photos, my camera will not focus well on the smaller fossils in the microscope. i only had a small amount, I will try to get some more soil to clean.  Packy

[doushantuo]

This immediately came to mind

karatajutfr-paleozoicreviewmanualvertebrapisces1-21-1998.pdf

(outtake/title below)

As has been known since the seminal works of e.g. Rohon from the end of the nineteenth century,ultrastructural study of Paleozoic fish remains is VERY NECESSARY

for a scientifically valid determination

Recommended,and then some