Ostracodermi
/ˌɒstrəkəˈdɜːrmaɪ/noun
A former taxonomic group of extinct, heavily armored jawless fishes, including many early vertebrates.
Did you know?Ostracoderms were once treated as a single natural group, but modern classifications recognize them as a diverse, largely paraphyletic assemblage of early jawless vertebrates.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ost-
“Bone or hard structure; a proposed ancient root connected with hard skeletal material and shell-related words.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ὄστρακον (óstrakon)
“A potsherd, shell, or hard fragment; also the material used for writing a citizen’s exile vote.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
δέρμα (dérma)
“Skin or hide.”
19th Century
Scientific Greek
Ostracodermi
“A zoological formation meaning “shell-skinned,” built from óstrakon and dérma.”
Late 19th Century
English
ostracoderm
“An extinct armored jawless fish; the singular form used in English scientific writing.”
Modern English
English
Ostracodermi
“A historical or informal taxonomic name for several groups of armored jawless early vertebrates.”