Campodus
genus of fossil fishes
Campodus is an extinct genus of eugeneodont holocephalans from the Carboniferous. Likely one of the earliest and most basal caseodontoids, it can be characterized by its broad, ridge-ornamented crushing teeth made of various types of dentine. The type species, C. agassizianus, was originally described in 1844 based on a small number of teeth from the Namurian of Belgium.
Additional fossils have been referred to the genus. These include Belgian specimens referred by Lohest (1884), fossils from Missouri referred by Zangerl (1981), and symphyseal tooth-whorls from Nebraska and Kansas referred by Eastman (1902). The tooth whorls were given their own species, C. variabilis. They shared some similarity to a massive "Agassizodus" jaw apparatus found in Osage, Kansas and described by St. John & Worthen (1875). This has led some authors to the conclusion that Agassizodus and Campodus were synonyms. However, others note that clearly identifiable Campodus teeth have not been found in the same areas from which Agassizodus was originally described.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Campodus” as genus of fossil fishes. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as genus of fossil fishes. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 18, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q542226. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1844, 1884, 1981 and 1902.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Campodus”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Campodus primary sources, Campodus archive and Campodus research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Campodus”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Campodus” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.