The document describes several groups of ancient jawed and jawless fishes:
- Ostracoderms were the oldest known craniates, dating back to the Ordovician and lacking jaws and paired fins.
- Acanthodians were early jawed fishes with cartilaginous skeletons and bony scales or spines.
- Placoderms were the first armored fishes with true jaws, some reaching large sizes. They are divided into orders including Arthrodira with jointed armor, Antiarchi with enclosed pectoral fins, and Petalichthyida typified by splayed fins.