Debeerius

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Debeerius is a genus of ancient cartilaginous fish from the Mississippian period. It lived in the Bear Gulch Limestone deposits in Montana, United States, and is named after the paleontologist Gavin de Beer. One species is known: Debeerius ellefseni. The fossils of D. ellefseni are preserved in great detail and even show pigment patterns, indicating dark stripes along the body.

Anatomy and classification:
- Jaw suspension: autodiastylic (the upper jaw is attached to the skull by two joints)
- Subclass: Holocephali (a group related to modern chimaeras)

Taxonomy:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Chondrichthyes
- Subclass: Holocephali
- Order: Debeeriiformes
- Family: Debeeriidae
- Genus: Debeerius
- Species: Debeerius ellefseni

Temporal range: Mississippian.