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Agnathans and the origin of jawed vertebrates

Abstract

The origins of jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) lie somewhere within the ranks of long-extinct jawless fishes, represented today as the lampreys and hagfishes. Recent discoveries of hitherto unknown kinds of jawless fishes (agnathans), together with re-examination of known agnathans and advances in systematic methods, have revitalized debates about the relationships of ancient fishes and given fresh insights into early vertebrate history.

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Forey, P., Janvier, P. Agnathans and the origin of jawed vertebrates. Nature 361, 129–134 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/361129a0

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