Lower Devonian acanthodians from New South Wales 
reconstruction of the ischnacanthid fam., gen. et 
sp. indet. presented here (Figure 8), matches the 
pattern observed for Poracanthodes menneri 
Valiukevifius (1992). It incorporates all types of 
dental elements recorded for the latter species 
except the small pharyngeal tooth whorl. However, 
as neither of the Australian sciotaxa to which the 
elements probably belonged are classifiable as 
Poracanthodes, the jaw fragments and associated 
elements from the Trundle beds cannot yet be 
assigned with any certainty to either taxa. 
CONCLUSIONS 
The range of dental elements present in the 
Lower Devonian Trundle beds samples from New 
South Wales incorporates all known elements of 
ischnacanthid dentition, but also probable 
posterior ends of upper jaw gnathals, and at least 
one new form - the denticulated plate plus tooth 
whorls. The latter elements are of interest as they 
represent a dentition form which does not fit 
readily into recognized climatiid or ischnacanthid 
patterns. If the posterior ends of jaw bones do 
derive from the upper jaw, as proposed, they 
represent a previously unrecognized difference 
between ischnacanthid upper and lower jaw bones. 
The presence of those dental elements which can 
be certainly attributed to ischnacanthid 
acanthodians should prove of value in classifying 
the isolated scales present in the same samples. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
I wish to thank Dr John Pickett and the 
Geological Survey of New South Wales for 
providing the samples; Dr Anne Kemp (University 
of Queensland) for use of stereo microscope and 
camera; Herr Jo Vergoossen (Groningen 
University, Netherlands) for critical evaluation and 
discussion; Rick Webb (University of Queensland) 
for SEM work on uncoated specimens; Dr Tony 
Thulbom (University of Queensland) and Dr Susan 
Turner (Queensland Museum) and an anonymous 
reviewer for comments on draft manuscripts. This 
is a contribution to IGCP Project 328: Palaeozoic 
Microvertebrates. 
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Manuscript received 8 May 1995; accepted 8 August 1995. 
