# MOTH locality > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MOTH_locality > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/MOTH_locality.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOTH_locality > Source revision: 1340718410 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Devonian fossil locality in Canada}} {{Infobox landform |name=MOTH |type=Geologic site |coordinates={{coord|62.55|-127.75|display=it}} |location=[Northwest Territories](/source/Northwest_Territories), [Canada](/source/Canada) |image=File:'Wonder Block' cast (8 fossil fish individuals, of 7 species)..jpg |caption=A cast of the "Wonder Block", a rock slab from MOTH with 7 different species (8 fish in total) in one place:
an unnamed [ischnacanthid](/source/Ischnacanthidae) (center left), an unnamed [osteostracan](/source/Osteostraci) (top left), ''[Brochoadmones](/source/Brochoadmones)'' (two largest fish near the center), ''[Lupopsyrus](/source/Lupopsyrus)'' (above the left ''Brochoadmones''), ''[Drepanolepis](/source/Drepanolepis)'' (bottom center), ''[Obtusacanthus](/source/Obtusacanthus)'' (top right), ''[Furcacauda](/source/Furcacauda)'' (bottom right) |pushpin_map=Canada |pushpin_relief=1 |age=[Lochkovian](/source/Lochkovian) ([Early Devonian](/source/Early_Devonian)) |map_caption= }} The '''Man-on-the-hill''' ('''MOTH''') locality is a [fossil site](/source/Paleontological_site) in the [Northwest Territories](/source/Northwest_Territories) of [Canada](/source/Canada) renowned for its incredibly well-preserved [Early Devonian](/source/Early_Devonian) fish fossils. Discovered in the [Mackenzie Mountains](/source/Mackenzie_Mountains) in the 1960s, MOTH accumulated greater prestige in the late 20th century, with many fossil fish species only known from this one site. The fauna consists of both [jawed fish](/source/Gnathostomata) (mostly [acanthodians](/source/Acanthodii), the "spiny sharks") and [jawless fish](/source/jawless_fish) (armored [osteostracans](/source/Osteostraci) and [pteraspidomorphs](/source/Pteraspidomorpha), as well as distinctive fork-tailed [furcacaudiform](/source/Furcacaudiformes) [thelodonts](/source/Thelodonti)). The [geology](/source/geology) of MOTH reconstructs the area as a calm marine environment with mixed [sediment](/source/sediment) sources along the western coast of [Laurussia](/source/Laurussia). == History == In the mid-1960s, geological mappers from the [Geological Survey of Canada](/source/Geological_Survey_of_Canada) (GSC) discovered well-preserved fish fossils on a steep mountainside in the [Mackenzie Mountains](/source/Mackenzie_Mountains), about {{Convert|70|km|mi|abbr=on}} northeast from the mining town of [Tungsten, Northwest Territories](/source/Tungsten%2C_Northwest_Territories). At the time, the site was known as '''GSC locality 69014'''.{{Cite journal |last=Dineley |first=David L. |date=1967 |title=Palaeontology: Mackenzie Mountains, District of Mackenzie |url=https://emrlibrary.gov.yk.ca/gsc/papers/68-1A.pdf |journal=Geological Survey of Canada Report of Activities |volume=68 |issue=1 |page=101}}{{Cite journal |last=Gabrielse |first=H. |last2=Blusson |first2=S.L. |last3=Roddick |first3=J.A. |date=1973 |title=Geology of Flat River, Glacier Lake and Wrigley Lake map areas, District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories |url=https://emrlibrary.gov.yk.ca/gsc/memoirs/366/memoir.pdf |journal=Geological Survey of Canada Memoirs |volume=366 |pages=1–268}} By the late 1970s, it had gained renown among Canadian paleoichthyologists, initiating a long list of new species discovered at the site.{{Cite journal |last=Bernacsek |first=G.M. |last2=Dineley |first2=D.L. |date=1977 |title=New acanthodians from the Delorme Formation (Lower Devonian) of N.W.T., Canada |journal=Palaeontographica, Abteilung A |volume=159 |pages=1–25}} The [University of Alberta](/source/University_of_Alberta) Laboratory for Vertebrate Paleontology (UALVP), which catalogues the site as '''UALVP locality 129''', handled most subsequent collecting efforts. UA [paleontologists](/source/Paleontology) Brian D.E. Chatterton and Mark V.H. Wilson led expeditions in 1983, 1990, 1996, 1998, and 2013, greatly increasing the volume of fossils recovered from the site. A nearby rock landmark, resembling a man sitting on the ridge, inspired a persistent nickname for the site: '''Man-on-the-hill''' (MOTH). The main fossiliferous section of MOTH is an Early Devonian [horizon](/source/Horizon_(geology)) at the level of 180 meters, and fossils are also found on the [talus slope](/source/Scree) of the mountainside.{{Cite journal |last=Zorn |first=Marilyn E |last2=Caldwell |first2=Michael W |last3=Wilson |first3=Mark VH |date=2005-05-01 |title=Lithological analysis of the Lower Devonian vertebrate-bearing beds at the MOTH locality, N.W.T., Canada: insights to taphonomy and depositional setting |url=http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/e05-015 |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |language=en |volume=42 |issue=5 |pages=763–775 |doi=10.1139/e05-015 |issn=0008-4077}} Though MOTH is the most productive fish site in the Mackenzie Mountains, it is not alone: well-preserved [Silurian](/source/Silurian) fish are also known from lower layers of the site (known as B-MOTH),{{Cite journal |last=Soehn |first=Kenneth L. |last2=Hanke |first2=Gavin F. |last3=Märss |first3=Tiiu |last4=Wilson |first4=Mark V.H. |date=2000 |title=Preliminary vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Avalanche Lake sections (Wenlock, Silurian), southern Mackenzie Mountains, N.W.T., and review of northwestern Canadian vertebrate localities of Silurian Age |journal=Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg |volume=223 |pages=129–156}}{{Cite journal |last=Hanke |first=Gavin F |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark VH |last3=Lindoe |first3=L Allan |date=2001 |title=New species of Silurian acanthodians from the Mackenzie Mountains, Canada |url=https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e01-039 |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=38 |issue=11 |pages=1517–1529 |doi=10.1139/e01-039 |issn=0008-4077}} strata in the vicinity of Avalanche Lake,{{Cite journal |last=Soehn |first=Kenneth L. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |date=1990-12-20 |title=A complete, articulated heterostracan from Wenlockian (Silurian) beds of the Delorme Group, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=405–419 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1990.10011825 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=4523341}} and elsewhere in the range. == Geology == MOTH corresponds to a transitional zone between the [clastic](/source/Clastic_rock) [shales](/source/Shale) of the [Road River Formation](/source/Road_River_Formation) and the [shelf](/source/Continental_shelf) [carbonates](/source/Carbonate_rock) of the [Delorme Group](/source/Delorme_Formation). An earliest Devonian ([Lochkovian](/source/Lochkovian)) age is established by its fossil fauna, with distinctive Lochkovian fish such as ''[Waengsjoeaspis](/source/Waengsjoeaspis)'', ''[Canadapteraspis](/source/Canadapteraspis)'', ''[Romundina](/source/Romundina)'', ''[Altholepis](/source/Altholepis)'', ''[Polymerolepis](/source/Polymerolepis)'', and ''[Seretolepis](/source/Seretolepis)''. [Brachiopod](/source/Brachiopod) and [conodont](/source/conodont) fossils also agree with this age estimate. At the time, the area would have been the tropical western [continental shelf](/source/continental_shelf) of [Laurussia](/source/Laurussia), fractured into many smaller basins and platforms by [rifting](/source/Rift) along the Cordilleran front. The vertebrate-bearing layers of MOTH are mainly composed of finely layered light grey [argillaceous](/source/argillaceous) (clay-rich) [limestone](/source/limestone) and dark grey [silty](/source/Silt) [calcareous](/source/calcareous) [shale](/source/shale). Fine grains of [dolomite](/source/Dolomite_(rock)), [calcite](/source/calcite), and [quartz](/source/quartz) are the predominant minerals in the sediment, reflecting a mixture of [carbonate](/source/Carbonate_rock) and [siliciclastic](/source/siliciclastic) inputs, including sharp grains sourced from airborne dust. The layers are flat-lying and undisturbed apart from subtle [bioturbation](/source/bioturbation), indicating perpetually calm waters. Older studies advocated for a shallow-water ([tide pool](/source/tide_pool) or [lagoon](/source/lagoon)) environment, based on the assumption that its fish and invertebrates preferred coastal or freshwater habitats. A 2005 overview instead supported a more offshore environment, below [storm wave base](/source/Wave_base). In any case, the presence of [pyrite](/source/pyrite) indicates that bottom waters were [anoxic](/source/Anoxic_waters) (oxygen-deprived), allowing for high-fidelity fossil preservation. The exact cause of death is unknown for the fauna, as there is no evidence for [turbidites](/source/Turbidite) (underwater mudslides) or seasonal water column disruptions. MOTH can be considered a [lagerstätte](/source/lagerst%C3%A4tte). == Paleobiota == More than 72 vertebrate species are known from MOTH as of 2015, though only around half have been formally named and described.{{Cite journal |last=Blais |first=Stephanie A. |last2=Hermus |first2=Chelsea R. |last3=Wilson |first3=Mark V. H. |date=2015-01-02 |title=Four new Early Devonian ischnacanthid acanthodians from the Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada: an early experiment in dental diversity |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2014.948546 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=35 |issue=1 |article-number=e948546 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2014.948546 |issn=0272-4634}} === Acanthodii === A few fully articulated [ischnacanthiform](/source/Ischnacanthiformes) fossils cannot be assigned to a specific species, as their diagnostic teeth are obscured by scales. Various MOTH ischnacanthid fossils have been referred to ''[Ischnacanthus gracilis](/source/Ischnacanthus)'', though later studies refuted these claims.{{Cite journal |last=Gagnier |first=Pierre-Yves |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |date=1995-01-01 |title=New evidences on jaw bones and jaw articulations in acanthodians |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016699595801014 |journal=Geobios |series=Premiers Vertandébrandés et Vertandébrandés Infandérieurs |volume=28 |pages=137–143 |doi=10.1016/S0016-6995(95)80101-4 |issn=0016-6995}} A 2001 UA biology [dissertation](/source/dissertation) by Gavin Hanke provides many new species names for MOTH specimens, but some of these names are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.{{Cite thesis |last=Hanke |first=Gavin Frank |date=2001 |title=Comparison of an early Devonian acanthodian and putative chondrichthyan assemblage using both isolated and articulated remains from the Mackenzie Mountains, with a cladistic analysis of early gnathostomes |url=https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/1229f847-4b57-4017-8d8c-aa1db56abf20 |publisher=University of Alberta |doi=10.7939/r3-cqef-jh86 |doi-access=free |type=PhD Thesis}} {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="4" align="center" |['''Acanthodians'''](/source/Acanthodii) '''("spiny sharks") and acanthodian-like fish of MOTH''' |- !Genus !Species !Notes !Images |- |''[Altholepis](/source/Altholepis)'' |''A.'' spp. |Three new species from MOTH have scales resembling ''Altholepis'', though these species have yet to be formally named and described.{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=M.V.H. |title=Pan-Arctic Palaeozoic Tectonics, Evolution of Basins and Faunas |last2=Hanke |first2=G.F. |last3=Soehn |first3=K.L. |publisher=IGCP 406 |year=2000 |editor-last=Antoshkina |editor-first=A. |series=Ichthyolith Issues Special Publication 6 |location=Syktyvkar |pages=137–141 |chapter=Diversity and age of the Devonian vertebrate assemblage at MOTH, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada |editor-last2=Malysheva |editor-first2=E. |editor-last3=Wilson |editor-first3=M.V.H. |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258697419}}{{Cite journal |last=Burrow |first=Carole J. |last2=Turner |first2=Susan |date=2018 |title=Stem chondrichthyan microfossils from the Lower Old Red Sandstone of the Welsh Borderland |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328042230 |journal=Acta Geologica Polonica |volume=68 |issue=3 |pages=321–334 |doi=10.1515/agp-2018-0010}} | |- |''[Brochoadmones](/source/Brochoadmones)'' |''B. milesi'' |A deep-bodied acanthodian with many small spiny "finlets" on its underside.''{{Cite journal |last1=Gagnier |first1=Pierre-Yves |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V.H. |date=1996 |title=Early Devonian acanthodians from northern Canada |url=https://www.palass.org/sites/default/files/media/publications/palaeontology/volume_39/vol39_part2_pp241-258.pdf |journal=Palaeontology |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=241–258}}''{{Cite journal |last1=Hanke |first1=Gavin F. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |date=2006-09-11 |title=Anatomy of the early Devonian acanthodian ''Brochoadmones milesi'' based on nearly complete body fossils, with comments on the evolution and development of paired fins |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282006%2926%5B526%3AAOTEDA%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=526–537 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[526:AOTEDA]2.0.CO;2 |issn=0272-4634 |s2cid=86378747 |url-access=subscription}} |center|150x150px |- |''[Cassidiceps](/source/Cassidiceps)'' |''C. vermiculatus'' |A deep-bodied acanthodian with a head covered in thick densely-textured scales.'''' | |- |''[Erymnacanthus](/source/Erymnacanthus)'' |''E. clivus'' |An [ischnacanthid](/source/Ischnacanthidae) with small teeth and deep jaws. |center|150x150px |- |''[Euryacanthus](/source/Euryacanthus)'' |''E. rugosus'' |An ischnacanthid with large, robust teeth.{{Cite journal |last=Blais |first=Stephanie A. |date=2017-01-01 |editor-last=Evans |editor-first=David C. |title=Precise occlusion and trophic niche differentiation indicate specialized feeding in Early Devonian jawed vertebrates |url=https://facetsjournal.com/doi/10.1139/facets-2016-0030 |journal=FACETS |language=en |volume=2 |pages=513–530 |doi=10.1139/facets-2016-0030 |issn=2371-1671}} | |- |''[Gladiobranchus](/source/Gladiobranchus)'' |''G. probaton'' |A toothless [gladiobranchid](/source/Gladiobranchidae) [diplacanthiform](/source/Diplacanthiformes). Potentially a junior synonym of ''[Uraniacanthus spinosus](/source/Uraniacanthus)'', an English acanthodian which is exceedingly similar to ''Gladiobranchus''.''{{Cite journal |last1=Hanke |first1=Gavin F. |last2=Davis |first2=Samuel P. |last3=Wilson |first3=Mark V. H. |date=2001-12-14 |title=New species of the acanthodian genus ''Tetanopsyrus'' from northern Canada, and comments on related taxa |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282001%29021%5B0740%3ANSOTAG%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=740–753 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0740:NSOTAG]2.0.CO;2 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=20062014 |s2cid=86098457 |url-access=subscription}}''{{Cite journal |last1=Hanke |first1=Gavin F. |last2=Davis |first2=Samuel P. |date=2008 |title=Redescription of the acanthodian ''Gladiobranchus probaton'' Bernacsek & Dineley, 1977, and comments on diplacanthid relationships |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/g2008n2a3.pdf |journal=Geodiversitas |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=303–330}}{{Cite journal |last1=Newman |first1=Michael J. |last2=Davidson |first2=Robert G. |last3=Blaauwen |first3=Jan L. Den |last4=Burrow |first4=Carole J. |date=2012 |title=The Early Devonian Acanthodian ''Uraniacanthus curtus'' (Powrie, 1870) n. comb. from the Midland Valley of Scotland |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/g2012n4a2.pdf |journal=Geodiversitas |volume=34 |issue=4 |pages=739–759 |doi=10.5252/g2012n4a2 |issn=1280-9659 |s2cid=54811929}} | |- |''[Kathemacanthus](/source/Kathemacanthus)'' |''K. rosulentus'' |A deep-bodied acanthodian with a "necklace" of artichoke-shaped scales similar to more typical chondrichthyans.''{{Cite book |last1=Hanke |first1=Gavin F. |title=Morphology, Phylogeny and Paleobiogeography of Fossil Fishes |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V.H. |publisher=Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil |year=2010 |location=Munich |pages=159–182 |chapter=The putative stem-group chondrichthyans ''Kathemacanthus'' and ''Seretolepis'' from the Lower Devonian MOTH locality, Mackenzie Mountains, Canada |chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258487908}}'' | |- |''[Lupopsyroides](/source/Lupopsyroides)''{{Cite book |last=Hanke |first=Gavin F. |title=Recent Advances in the Origin and Early Radiation of Vertebrates |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V.H. |publisher=Verlag Dr. Friedrich Pfeil |year=2004 |isbn=3-89937-052-X |editor-last=Arratia |editor-first=Gloria |location=München |pages=189–216 |chapter=New teleostome fishes and acanthodian systematics |editor-last2=Wilson |editor-first2=Mark V.H. |editor-last3=Cloutier |editor-first3=Richard}} |''L. macracanthus'' |A toothless fish with simple scales and no apparent bony skeleton apart from fin spines. | |- |''[Lupopsyrus](/source/Lupopsyrus)'' |''L. pygmaeus'' |An enigmatic acanthodian with simple scales and two rows of large keeled scutes on each side of its body.{{Cite journal |last1=Hanke |first1=Gavin F. |last2=Davis |first2=Samuel P. |date=September 2012 |title=A re-examination of ''Lupopsyrus pygmaeus'' Bernacsek & Dineley, 1977 (Pisces, Acanthodii) |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/g2012n3a1.pdf |journal=Geodiversitas |volume=34 |issue=3 |pages=469–487 |doi=10.5252/g2012n3a1 |issn=1280-9659 |s2cid=85622590}} | |- |''[Nostolepis](/source/Nostolepis)'' |''N. striata'' |A weathered specimen with ''Nostolepis''-type scales, yet to be formally described. The specimen may be referable to ''[Nostovicina laticristata](/source/Nostovicina)''.{{Cite journal |last=Burrow |first=Carole Jan |last2=Murphy |first2=Michael |last3=Turner |first3=Susan |date=2023-06-06 |title=Late Silurian to earliest Devonian vertebrate biostratigraphy of the Birch Creek II section, Roberts Mountains, Nevada, U.S.A. |url=https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bb3q574 |journal=PaleoBios |volume=40 |issue=4 |pages=1-32 |doi=10.5070/P940454153 |issn=2373-8189}} | |- |''[Obtusacanthus](/source/Obtusacanthus)'' |''O. corroconis'' |An acanthodian-like fish with enlarged needle-like lip scales and no true teeth.{{Cite journal |last1=Blais |first1=Stephanie A. |last2=MacKenzie |first2=Lindsay A. |last3=Wilson |first3=Mark V. H. |date=2011 |title=Tooth-Like Scales in Early Devonian Eugnathostomes and the 'Outside-In' Hypothesis for the Origins of Teeth in Vertebrates |url=https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-vertebrate-paleontology/volume-31/issue-6/039.031.0611/Tooth-Like-Scales-in-Early-Devonian-Eugnathostomes-and-the-Outside/10.1080/039.031.0611.full |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=31 |issue=6 |pages=1189–1199 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2011.607992 |doi-broken-date= |issn=0272-4634}} | |- |''[Paucicanthus](/source/Paucicanthus){{cite journal |last1=Hanke |first1=Gavin F. |year=2002 |title=''Paucicanthus vanelsti'' gen. et sp. nov., an Early Devonian (Lochkovian) acanthodian that lacks paired fin-spines |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=39 |issue=7 |pages=1071–1083 |bibcode=2002CaJES..39.1071H |doi=10.1139/e02-023}}'' |''P. vanelsti'' |A narrow-bodied acanthodian lacking spines on its pectoral and pelvic fins.'''' | |- |''[Polymerolepis](/source/Polymerolepis)'' |''P. whitei'' |An enigmatic fish with "[bradyodont](/source/Bradyodonti)"-like scales. Fossils from MOTH show that it had an anal fin spine, like acanthodians.{{Cite journal |last=Hanke |first=Gavin F. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |last3=Saurette |first3=Fernand J. |date=2013 |title=Partial articulated specimen of the Early Devonian putative chondrichthyan Polymerolepis whitei Karatajūtė-Talimaa, 1968, with an anal fin spine |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/g2013n3a2.pdf |journal=Geodiversitas |language=en |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=529–543 |doi=10.5252/g2013n3a2 |issn=1280-9659}} | |- |''[Promesacanthus](/source/Promesacanthus){{Cite journal |last=Hanke |first=Gavin F. |date=2008 |title=''Promesacanthus eppleri'' n. gen., n. sp., a mesacanthid (Acanthodii, Acanthodiformes) from the Lower Devonian of northern Canada |url=https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/g2008n2a2.pdf |journal=Geodiversitas |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=287–302}}'' |''P. eppleri'' |A [mesacanthid](/source/Mesacanthidae) [acanthodiform](/source/Acanthodiformes) which retains small prepectoral spines, akin to "climatiiform" acanthodians.'''' | |- |''[Seretolepis](/source/Seretolepis)'' |''S. elegans'' |A chondrichthyan-like fish closely related to ''Kathemacanthus''.'''' | |- | rowspan="2" |''[Tetanopsyrus](/source/Tetanopsyrus){{Cite journal |last1=Gagnier |first1=P. |last2=Hanke |first2=G. |last3=Wilson |first3=M. |date=1999 |title=Tetanopsyrus lindoei gen. et sp. nov., an Early Devonian acanthodian from the Northwest Territories, Canada |url=https://geojournals.pgi.gov.pl/agp/article/view/10325/8837 |journal=Acta Geologica Polonica |language=EN |volume=49 |issue=2 |pages=81–96 |issn=0001-5709}}'' |''T. breviacanthias'' |A stocky diplacanthiform with broad crushing plates instead of teeth. This species has relatively short pectoral spines.'''' | |- |''T. lindoei'' |A stocky diplacanthiform with broad crushing plates instead of teeth.'''' This species has relatively long pectoral spines.'''' |center|150x150px |- | rowspan="2" |''[Tricuspicanthus](/source/Tricuspicanthus)'' |''T. gannitus'' |A common but small ischnacanthid with three rows of teeth.'''' | |- |''T. pisciculus'' |A tiny ischnacanthid with two rows of teeth.'''' | |} === Placoderms === {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="4" align="center" |[Placoderms](/source/Placoderm) '''of MOTH''' |- !Genus !Species !Notes !Images |- |''[Romundina](/source/Romundina)'' |''R. stellina'' |An [acanthothoracid](/source/Acanthothoraci) placoderm. A single skull found at MOTH in 1990 has yet to be fully described.{{Cite journal |last=Johanson |first=Zerina |last2=Smith |first2=Moya M. |date=2003 |title=Placoderm fishes, pharyngeal denticles, and the vertebrate dentition |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10685592 |journal=Journal of Morphology |language=en |volume=257 |issue=3 |pages=289–307 |doi=10.1002/jmor.10124 |issn=0362-2525}} |center|184x184px |} === Osteostraci === A 2011 UA biology thesis by Bradley Scott provides several new species names for MOTH osteostracan specimens, but some of these names are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.{{Cite thesis |last=Greeniaus |first=Jeffrey |title=Description of Devonian tessellate heterostracans from the Northwest Territories, Canada and the growth of Lepidaspis |date=2004 |type=MS Thesis |publisher=University of Alberta |url=https://ualberta.scholaris.ca/items/3432fb81-e0ee-49d0-8673-7e68f5af9ba4 |doi=10.7939/r3-evpd-6918 |doi-access=free}} {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="4" align="center" |[Osteostracans](/source/Osteostraci) '''of MOTH''' |- !Genus !Species !Notes !Images |- |''[Dentapelta](/source/Dentapelta){{Cite journal |last=Scott |first=Bradley R |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V H |date=2015-03-04 |title=The Superciliaspididae, a new family of Early Devonian Osteostraci (jawless vertebrates) from northern Canada, with two new genera and three new species |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2013.863809 |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |language=en |volume=13 |issue=3 |pages=167–187 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2013.863809 |issn=1477-2019}}'' |''D. loefflerae'' |A [superciliaspidid](/source/Superciliaspididae) [zenaspid](/source/Zenaspidida) with tooth-like denticles on its headshield. | |- |''"Diademaspis"'' |''"D." mackenziensis{{Cite journal |last=Adrain |first=Jonathan M. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |date=1994-09-07 |title=Early Devonian cephalaspids (Vertebrata: Osteostraci: Cornuata) from the southern MacKenzie Mountains, N.W.T., Canada |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.1994.10011561 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=301–319 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1994.10011561 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=4523572}}'' |A small zenaspid which is probably not a species of ''[Diademaspis](/source/Diademaspis)''.{{Cite journal |last=Voichyshyn |first=Victor |date=2006 |title=New osteostracans from the Lower Devonian terrigenous deposits of Podolia, Ukraine |url=https://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app51/app51-131.pdf |journal=Acta Palaeontologica Polonica |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=131–142}}{{Cite journal |last=Keating |first=Joseph N. |last2=Sansom |first2=Robert S. |last3=Purnell |first3=Mark A. |date=2012 |title=A new osteostracan fauna from the Devonian of the Welsh Borderlands and observations on the taxonomy and growth of Osteostraci |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2012.693555 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=1002–1017 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2012.693555 |issn=0272-4634}} | |- | rowspan="2" |''[Glabrapelta](/source/Glabrapelta)'' |''G. cristata'' |A superciliaspidid zenaspid with a smooth headshield. | |- |''G. minima'' |A small superciliaspidid zenaspid with a smooth headshield. | |- |''[Machairaspis](/source/Machairaspis)'' |''M. serrata{{Cite journal |last=Scott |first=Bradley R. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V.H. |date=2013 |editor-last= |editor-first= |title=A new species of osteostracan from the Lochkovian (Early Devonian) of the Mackenzie Mountains, with comments on body size, growth, and geographic distribution in the genus Machairaspis |url=http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/10.1139/cjes-2012-0100 |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |language=en |volume=50 |issue=2 |pages=127–134 |doi=10.1139/cjes-2012-0100 |issn=0008-4077}}'' |A small scolenaspidine [zenaspidid](/source/Zenaspididae) with a tall serrated spine in the middle of its headshield. | |- |''[Superciliaspis](/source/Superciliaspis)'' |''S. gabrielsei{{Cite journal |last=Dineley |first=D.L. |last2=Loeffler |first2=E.J. |date=1976 |title=Ostracoderm faunas of the Delorme and associated Siluro-Devonian formations North West territories Canada |url=https://palass.org/sites/default/files/media/publications/special_papers_in_palaeontology/number_18/spp18_pp1-214.pdf |journal=Special Papers in Palaeontology |volume=18 |pages=1–214}}'' |A superciliaspidid zenaspid with prominent spines on its headshield. Previously considered a species of ''Cephalaspis''.''''{{Cite journal |last=Hawthorn |first=Jessica R. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |last3=Falkenberg |first3=Armin B. |date=2008-12-12 |title=Development of the dermoskeleton in Superciliaspis gabrielsei (Agnatha: Osteostraci) |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.951 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=28 |issue=4 |pages=951–960 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.951 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=20491029}} | |- | rowspan="2" |''[Waengsjoeaspis](/source/Waengsjoeaspis)'' |''W. nahanniensis'' |An osteostracan related to [Benneviaspidida](/source/Benneviaspidida).''''{{Cite journal |last=Scott |first=Bradley R. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |date=2012 |title=A new species of Waengsjoeaspis (Cephalaspidomorpha, Osteostraci) from the Early Devonian of northwestern Canada, with a redescription of W. nahanniensis and implications for growth, variation, morphology, and phylogeny |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02724634.2012.694514 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=32 |issue=6 |pages=1235–1253 |doi=10.1080/02724634.2012.694514 |issn=0272-4634}} | |- |''W. platycornis'' |An osteostracan related to [Benneviaspidida](/source/Benneviaspidida). | |} === Thelodonti === All of the [thelodonts](/source/Thelodonti) present at MOTH belong to the order [Furcacaudiformes](/source/Furcacaudiformes), a group characterized by small heads, humpbacked bodies which are deep and laterally flattened, and equally deep fork-shaped tails.{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Mark V. H. |last2=Caldwell |first2=Michael W. |date=1993 |title=New Silurian and Devonian fork-tailed 'thelodonts' are jawless vertebrates with stomachs and deep bodies |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/361442a0 |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=361 |issue=6411 |pages=442–444 |doi=10.1038/361442a0 |issn=1476-4687}}{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=Mark V. H. |last2=Caldwell |first2=Michael W. |date=1998-04-10 |title=The Furcacaudiformes: a new order of jawless vertebrates with thelodont scales, based on articulated Silurian and Devonian fossils from northern Canada |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=10–29 |doi=10.1080/02724634.1998.10011031 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=4523870}} {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="4" align="center" |[Thelodonts](/source/Thelodonti) '''of MOTH''' |- !Genus !Species !Notes !Images |- |''[Cometicercus](/source/Cometicercus)'' |''C. talimaaae'' |A small, rare, and relatively slender [furcacaudid](/source/Furcacaudidae) furcacaudiform. | |- |''[Drepanolepis](/source/Drepanolepis)'' |''D. maerssae'' |A tiny drepanolepidid{{Cite journal |last=Wilson |first=M V |last2=Märss |first2=T |date=2009 |title=Thelodont phylogeny revisited, with inclusion of key scale-based taxa |url=https://kirj.ee/public/Estonian_Journal_of_Earth_Sciences/2009/issue_4/earth-2009-4-297-310.pdf |journal=Estonian Journal of Earth Sciences |language=en |volume=58 |issue=4 |page=297 |doi=10.3176/earth.2009.4.08 |issn=1736-4728}} furcacaudiform with sickle-shaped scales. |center|210x210px |- | rowspan="2" |''[Furcacauda](/source/Furcacauda)'' |''F. fredholmae'' |A medium-sized furcacaudid furcacaudiform with a pronounced dorsal fin. |center|197x197px |- |''F. heintzae'' |A medium-sized furcacaudid furcacaudiform with a pronounced dorsal fin. Previously considered a species of ''[Sigurdia](/source/Sigurdia)''. |center|150x150px |- |''[Sphenonectris](/source/Sphenonectris)'' |''S. turnerae'' |A relatively large furcacaudid furcacaudiform without a dorsal fin. |center|150x150px |} === Pteraspidomorphi === A 2004 UA biology thesis by Jeffrey Greeniaus provides several new species names for MOTH pteraspidomorph specimens, but these names are yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. {| class="wikitable" align="center" ! colspan="4" align="center" |[Pteraspidomorphs](/source/Pteraspidomorpha) '''of MOTH''' |- !Genus !Species !Notes !Images |- |''[Aserotaspis](/source/Aserotaspis)'' |''A. canadensis'' |A tesselate [heterostracan](/source/Heterostraci) with many small armor plates, each bearing a mesh of irregular ridges. | |- |''[Canadapteraspis](/source/Canadapteraspis)'' |''C. alocostomata'' |A medium-sized [pteraspidiform](/source/Pteraspidiformes). | |- |''[Dinaspidella](/source/Dinaspidella)'' |''D. elizabethae'' |A common medium-sized irregulareaspidine [cyathaspidid](/source/Cyathaspididae).{{Cite journal |last=Pellerin |first=Nicole M. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V.H. |date=1995 |title=New evidence for structure of Irregulareaspididae tails from Lochkovian beds of the Delorme Group, Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories, Canada |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0016699595800859 |journal=Geobios |language=en |volume=28 |pages=45–50 |doi=10.1016/S0016-6995(95)80085-9}}{{Cite journal |last=Greeniaus |first=Jeffrey W. |last2=Wilson |first2=Mark V. H. |date=2003-06-17 |title=Fossil juvenile Cyathaspididae (Heterostraci) reveal rapid cyclomorial development of the dermal skeleton |url=http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1671/0272-4634%282003%29023%5B0483%3AFJCHRR%5D2.0.CO%3B2 |journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |language=en |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=483–487 |doi=10.1671/0272-4634(2003)023[0483:FJCHRR]2.0.CO;2 |issn=0272-4634 |jstor=4524340}} | |- |''[Lepidaspis](/source/Lepidaspis)'' |''L. serrata'' |A tesselate heterostracan with many small armor plates, each bearing a single serrated ridge. |center|150x150px |- |''[Nahanniaspis](/source/Nahanniaspis)'' |''N. mackenziei'' |A common small irregulareaspidine cyathaspidid. | |- |''[Pionaspis](/source/Pionaspis)'' |''P. amplissima'' |A rare relatively large cyathaspidid. |center|150x150px |- |''[Poraspis](/source/Poraspis)'' |''P. polaris'' |A medium-sized poraspidine cyathaspidid. | |} === Other fossils === [Conodonts](/source/Conodont) are found at MOTH, including the Silurian-[Pragian](/source/Pragian) [index fossil](/source/index_fossil) ''[Ozarkodina remscheidensis](/source/Ozarkodina)''. The most abundant [invertebrates](/source/Invertebrate) at MOTH are [leperditiid](/source/Leperditiidae) [ostracods](/source/Ostracod) which cluster together in mass death assemblages, sometimes around vertebrate remains. Various [brachiopods](/source/Brachiopod) can also be found at the site. [Eurypterids](/source/Eurypterid) are rare but well-preserved. [Conulariids](/source/Conulariida) and [phyllocarids](/source/Phyllocarida) have also been reported. Tiny fragments of typical shallow marine invertebrates ([crinoids](/source/Crinoid), brachiopods, [bryozoans](/source/Bryozoa), [corals](/source/Coral)) make up a minor component of the sediment. == References == {{reflist}} Category:Lochkovian Category:Devonian paleontological sites Category:Lagerstätten Category:Paleontology in the Northwest Territories Category:Paleozoic life of the Northwest Territories Category:Devonian Northwest Territories --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [MOTH locality](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOTH_locality) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOTH_locality?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.