genus of extinct early fishlike vertebrates found in Late Silurian and Early Devonian rocks in Europe (from about 421 to 387 million years ago). Birkenia was a primitive jawless vertebrate that attained a length of only about 10 cm (4 inches). Birkenia was adapted for active swimming, and its sucking mouth was in a terminal rather than a ventral position. The head of Birkenia was covered by small scales rather than by the fused bony shield of some of its relatives.