Materpiscis

Materpiscis Temporal range: Late Devonian (Frasnian), 380 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Artist's reconstruction of M. attenboroughi
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	†Placodermi
Order:	†Ptyctodontida
Family:	†Ptyctodontidae
Genus:	†Materpiscis Long et al., 2008
Species:	†M. attenboroughi
Binomial name
†Materpiscis attenboroughi Long et al., 2008

Materpiscis (Latin for mother fish) is a genus of ptyctodontid placoderm from the Late Devonian located at the Gogo Formation of Western Australia. Known from only one specimen, it is unique in having an unborn embryo present inside the mother, with remarkable preservation of a mineralised placental feeding structure (umbilical cord). This makes Materpiscis the oldest known vertebrate to show viviparity, or giving birth to live young.