The Silurian Placoderms from Vietnam: A Reappraisal Based on the Consideration of Silurian “Maxillate Placoderms” from South China

Since 2007, a number of placoderm remains have turned up from Silurian outcrops of Northern and Central Vietnam, but were difficult to identify, because of the paucity of coeval comparative material. Now, thanks to the impressive findings of articulated specimens of “maxillate placoderms” from the Silurian of South China, this Vietnamese material can be tentatively referred to taxa that belong to this grade of jawed vertebrates, some of which are currently regarded as stem osteichthyans, while others are regarded as stem chondrichthyans.