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Osteolepis Temporal range: Middle Devonian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Osteolepis macrolepidotus fossil at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Sarcopterygii
Clade:	Tetrapodomorpha
Order:	†Osteolepiformes
Family:	†Osteolepididae
Genus:	†Osteolepis Agassiz, 1843

Osteolepis (from Greek: ὀστέον ostéon 'bone' and Greek: λεπίς lepis 'scale') is an extinct genus of lobe-finned fish from the Devonian period. It lived in the Lake Orcadie of northern Scotland.

Osteolepis was about 20 centimetres (7.9 in) long, and covered with large, square scales. The scales and plates on its head were covered in a thin layer of spongy, bony material called cosmine. This layer contained canals that were connected to sensory cells deeper in the skin. These canals ended in pores on the surface and were probably for sensing vibrations in the water.

Osteolepis was a rhipidistian, having a number of features in common with the tetrapods (land-dwelling vertebrates and their descendants), and was probably close to the base of the tetrapod family tree.

References

1. Roberts, George (1839). An etymological and explanatory dictionary of the terms and language of geology. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans. p. 127. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
2. Colbert, Edwin H. (Edwin Harris); Knight, Charles Robert (1951). The dinosaur book: the ruling reptiles and their relatives. New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 152.
3. Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 43. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.

v t e Tetrapodomorpha (Pan-Tetrapoda)
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Clade: Osteichthyes Clade: Sarcopterygii Clade: Rhipidistia Gnathostomata see Gnathostomata Tetrapodomorpha see below↓
Tetrapodomorpha Tetrapodomorpha †Bogdanovia †Chrysolepis †Geptolepis †Glyptopomus †Gogonasus †Greiserolepis †Gyroptychius †Harajicadectes †Kenichthys †Litoptychus †Lamprotolepis †Latvius †Medoevia †Megadonichthys †Muranjilepis †Osteolepis †Peregrina †Platyethmoidia †Shirolepis †Thaumatolepis †Thursius †Tungsenia †Viluichthys †Rhizodontida Archichthys Aztecia Barameda Gooloogongia Hongyu Letognathus Propycnoctenion Pycnoctenion Rhizodus Rossichthys Sauripterus Screbinodus Strepsodus Thysanolepis? Vorobjevaia? †Canowindridae Beelarongia Canowindra Koharalepis Marsdenichthys? Owensia? †Megalichthyidae Askerichthys Cladarosymblema Cryptolepis? Ectosteorhachis Lohsania? Mahalalepis Megalichthys Megapomus? Megistolepis? Palatinichthys Rhizodopsis Sengoerichthys Sterropterygion? Eotetrapodiformes †Palaeospondylus? †Tristichopteridae Bruehnopteron Cabonnichthys Callistipterus Canningius Devonosteus Edenopteron Eusthenodon Eusthenopteron Heddleichthys Hyneria Jarvikina Langlieria Litoptychus? Mandageria Marsdenichthys? Notorhizodon Platycephalichthys Spodichthys Tinirau Tristichopterus Elpistostegalia †Howittichthys? †Livoniana †Panderichthys †Parapanderichthys †Qikiqtania †Rubrognathus †Tiktaalik Stegocephali (Tetrapoda sensu lato) see below↓
Stegocephali (Tetrapoda sensu lato) Devonian taxa †Acanthostega †Brittagnathus †Densignathus †Elpistostege? †Hynerpeton †Ichthyostega †Jakubsonia †Metaxygnathus †Parmastega †Sinostega †Tiktaalik? †Tulerpeton †Tutusius †Umzantsia †Ventastega †Ymeria †Elginerpetontidae Elginerpeton Obruchevichthys Webererpeton Post-Devonian taxa †Antlerpeton †Aytonerpeton †Crassigyrinus †Diploradus †Doragnathus †Gaiasia †Ichthyerpeton †Koilops †Mesanerpeton †Occidens †Ossirarus †Perittodus †Sigournea †Tantallognathus †Aistopoda Andersonerpeton Lethiscus Ophiderpeton Oestocephalidae Coloraderpeton Oestocephalus Phlegethontioidea Pseudophlegethontia Phlegethontiidae Phlegethontia Sillerpeton †Whatcheeriidae Ossinodus? Pederpes Whatcheeria †Colosteidae Colosteus Deltaherpeton Greererpeton Pholidogaster †Adelospondyli Acherontiscus Adelogyrinidae Adelogyrinus Adelospondylus Dolichopareias Palaeomolgophis †"Nectridea" see Nectridea †Baphetoidea Eucritta? Spathicephalus Baphetidae Baphetes Kyrinion Loxomma Megalocephalus †Embolomeri Anthracosaurus Archeria Aversor Calligenethlon Carbonoherpeton "Cricotus" Diplovertebron Eobaphetes Eoherpeton? Leptophractus Neopteroplax Palaeoherpeton Papposaurus Pholiderpeton Proterogyrinus Pteroplax Seroherpeton Spondylerpeton †Gephyrostegidae Bruktererpeton Eusauropleura Gephyrostegus †Other "anthracosaurs" Caerorhachis Casineria? Eldeceeon Eoherpeton Silvanerpeton Termonerpeton Crown group Tetrapoda Temnospondyli (Batrachomorpha see Temnospondyli includes Lissamphibia Reptiliomorpha (Pan-Amniota) see Reptiliomorpha includes Amniota
Related topics Paraphyletic / Polyphyletic groups Stem tetrapoda Osteolepiformes Osteolepididae Megalichthyiformes? Tristichopteridae? Labyrinthodontia Rachitomi Ichthyostegalia Lepospondyli Holospondyli Phyllospondyli Anthracosauria Other topics Evolution of tetrapods Polydactyly in stem-tetrapods Romer's gap Timeline Zachelmie trackways
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• Tetrapodomorphs
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