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Was the Devonian placoderm Titanichthys a suspension feeder?

2020; Royal Society; Volume: 7; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1098/rsos.200272

2054-5703

Samuel J. Coatham, Jakob Vinther, Emily J. Rayfield, Christian Klug,

Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils

Large nektonic suspension feeders have evolved multiple times. The apparent trend among apex predators for some evolving into feeding on small zooplankton is of interest for understanding the associated shifts in anatomy and behaviour, while the spatial and temporal distribution gives clues to an inherent relationship with ocean primary productivity and how past and future perturbations to these may impact on the different tiers of the food web. The evolution of large nektonic suspension feeders-'gentle giants'-occurred four times among chondrichthyan fishes (e.g. whale sharks, basking sharks and manta rays), as well as in baleen whales (mysticetes), the Mesozoic pachycormid fishes and at least twice in radiodontan stem group arthropods (Anomalocaridids) during the Cambrian explosion. The Late Devonian placoderm