Late Devonian first appearances

Dunkleosteus is an extinct genus of large arthrodire ("jointed-neck") fish that existed during the Late Devonian period, about 382–358 million years ago. It was a pelagic fish inhabiting open waters, and one of the first vertebrate apex predators of any ecosystem. Fossils of Dunkleosteus have been found in the United States, Canada, Poland, Belgium, and Morocco.

Archaeopteris is an extinct genus of progymnosperm tree with fern-like leaves. A useful index fossil, this tree is found in strata dating from the Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous (), the oldest fossils being 385 million years old, and had global distribution.

Clymeniida is an order of ammonoid cephalopods from the Upper Devonian characterized by having an unusual dorsal siphuncle. They measured about in diameter and are most common in Europe, North Africa, and South China but are known from North America (New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Utah) and Australia (New South Wales) as well.

Goniatites is a genus of extinct cephalopods belonging to the family Goniatitidae, included in the superfamily Goniatitaceae. Hibernicoceras and Hypergoniatites are among related genera.

The Canowindridae are a family of prehistoric tetrapodomorphs which lived during the Devonian period (Famennian stage, about 374 to 359 million years ago). Fossils belonging to this family have been found in Australia, Antarctica, and Europe.

Symmoriidae is an extinct family of cartilaginous fish belonging to the order Symmoriiformes. Members of the family are known from the Devonian and Carboniferous periods.

Megalichthyidae is an extinct family of tetrapodomorphs which lived from the Middle–Late Devonian to the Early Permian. They are known primarily from freshwater deposits, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere (Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and North America), but one genus (Cladarosymblema) is known from Australia, and the possible megalichthyid Mahalalepis is from Antarctica.

Pseudobornia is a genus of plants known only from fossils found from the Upper Devonian. It contains a single species Pseudobornia ursina, and is the earliest fossil assigned with certainty to the Equisetopsida.

Sphenopteris is a genus of seed ferns containing the foliage of various extinct plants, ranging from the Devonian to Late Cretaceous. One species, S. höninghausi, was transferred to the genus Crossotheca in 1911.

The Lyginopteridales are an extinct group of seed plants known from the Paleozoic. They were the first plant fossils to be described as pteridosperms (a polyphyletic group sometimes referred to as "seed ferns") and, thus, the group on which the concept of pteridosperms was first developed; they are the stratigraphically oldest-known pteridosperms, occurring first in late Devonian strata; and they have the most primitive features, most notably in the structure of their ovules. During early and most of middle Pennsylvanian times the Medullosales took over as the more important of the larger pter

Stethacanthidae is an extinct family of prehistoric sharks. It is estimated to have existed approximately between 380 and 300 million years ago. Members of this family are noted for their peculiar dorsal fin.

Archaeocidaris is an extinct genus of echinoid that lived from the Late Devonian to the Late Permian. Its remains have been found in Africa, Europe, and North America. thumb|left|Archaeocidaris plates and spines from the Bird Spring Formation (Carboniferous) exposed in Kyle Canyon, Spring Mountains, southern Nevada.