Article: The panderichthyid fish Elpistostege: a close relative of tetrapods?

The anterior skull roof and a possible postcranial skeleton of Elpistostege watsoni Westoll 1938 are described from the Escuminac Formation, upper Devonian, of Miguasha, Quebec, Canada. In agreement with Worobjewa (1973), Elpistostege is placed within the osteolepiform family Panderichthyidae. Within the osteolepiforms, the Panderichthyidae are the group closest to early tetrapods. Their skull roof pattern readily permits the transfer of tetrapod terminology to the skull roof of other osteolepiforms (contrary to Borgen 1983).