Vertebrate Assemblages of the Rechitsian Time (Beginning of the Late Frasnian, Late Devonian) in the East European Platform

The systematic composition of vertebrate assemblages, including psammosteid agnathans, placo-derms (mainly antiarchs), acanthodians, chondrichthyans, sarcopterygians, and actinopterygians in various regions of the East European Platform during the Rechitsian time of the Late Frasnian (Late Devonian) is analyzed. New materials on antiarchs, acanthodians, lungfishes, porolepiform and onychodontiform sarcopterygians, and ray-finned fishes from Belarus, Ukraine, and European Russia are briefly described. Fennoscandian assemblages include more endemic taxa than the vertebrate communities that inhabited the water area between Belarus and Voronezh Islands. The latter were distinguished by a greater diversity of acanthodian, sarcopterygian and ray-finned assemblages. Most of the didemic and polydemic taxa found away from the East European Platform inhabited eastern and northern Laurentia.